In the two seasons of the Women’s Premier League gone by, a total of 484 wickets have fallen.
The wickets tally in the WPL is largely dominated by overseas bowlers with England’s Sophie Ecclestone, who represents UP Warriorz, leading the pack.
Who are the top five wicket-takers in WPL history?
Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) – 27
Saika Ishaque (Mumbai Indians) – 24
Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians) – 23
Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians) – 22
Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians) – 20
Mumbai Indians has dominated proceedings with the ball in the first two seasons. Let’s take a look at how these bowlers have performed in the tournament so far:
Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz)
Having been with the Warriorz since the inaugural season – when she was bought for Rs. 1.8 crore – Ecclestone stands atop the wicket-taking standings.
In the first season, the English left-arm spinner took the most wickets (16) alongside ‘Purple Cap’ winner Hayley Matthews. Last campaign, she picked 11 scalps.
Her best bowling figures of 4/13 came during Warriorz’s match against RCB in 2023, which the former went on to win by 10 wickets. Ecclestone castled Sophie Devine and removed Shreyanka Patil, before sending tail-enders Renuka Singh and Sahana Pawar back to the pavilion.
Saika Ishaque of Mumbai Indians
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Sportzpics for WPL
Saika Ishaque of Mumbai Indians
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Sportzpics for WPL
Saika Ishaque (Mumbai Indians)
Second in the wicket-taker list is Kolkata-based Saika Ishaque with 24 scalps. After being bought for Rs. 10 lakh in the inaugural auction by Mumbai Indians, she took 15 wickets in the first season.
Her best performance came against Gujarat Giants in 2023 when she ended her innings with figures of 4/11. Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Mansi Joshi, and Monica Patel were Saika’s victims.
Hayley Matthews of Mumbai Indians
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Sportzpics for WPL
Hayley Matthews of Mumbai Indians
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Sportzpics for WPL
Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians)
The Windies player took the WPL by storm after her allround performance in the inaugural season (16 wickets and 271 runs) earned Matthews the ‘Purple Cap’ and the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.
Her best bowling figures stand at 3/5 – the joint-most economical by a bowler who has taken at least three wickets – which came during the 2023 final against Delhi Capitals. She got the wickets of Jess Jonassen, Minnu Mani, and Taniya Bhatia to guide MI to the title.
Amelia Kerr of Mumbai Indians
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Sportzpics for WPL
Amelia Kerr of Mumbai Indians
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Sportzpics for WPL
Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians)
The New Zealand leggie, who played a pivotal role in the White Ferns’ 2024 T20 World Cup triumph, was roped in by MI for a crore in the first auction.
Kerr took 15 wickets in the 2023. Against Gujarat Giants, she recorded her best figures in the tournament of 4/17 when she removed Ashleigh Gardner, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, and Lea Tahuhu in a winning cause.
Nat Sciver-Brunt of Mumbai Indians
| Photo Credit:
Sportzpics for WPL
Nat Sciver-Brunt of Mumbai Indians
| Photo Credit:
Sportzpics for WPL
Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians)
Out of the top five wicket-takers in the WPL, Natalie Sciver-Brunt perhaps stands out as the most consistent. In the last two seasons, she took 10 wickets in each campaign. She is also the only fast bowler in this list.
The English pacer’s best figures came against Gujarat Giants in 2023 when she recorded 3/21. After removing opener Sophia Dunkley for a golden duck on the first ball of the innings, Sciver-Brunt sent skipper Sneh and Kim Garth back.
