The first edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2023) has been a massive hit this year. People enjoyed the quality of cricket and saw some of the nail-biting games during the tournament. It is a great initiative by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to promote women’s cricket in India. The tournament gives ample opportunity for women cricketers to show their talent. Not just Indian cricketers, the players from other countries also get the opportunity here. It is very beneficial in terms of money making as well as cricketers got a huge contract from the franchise.
In WPL 2023, we saw some amazing performances by the players, both with the bat and the ball. Today, we will talk about the top 5 highest wicket-takers in WPL 2023 and who was the purple cap winner. Let’s see the list.
Top 5 Highest Wicket-takers in WPL 2023
(1) Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians Women)
She is one of the reasons for Mumbai Indian Women’s success in the inaugural season of WPL. The off-break bowler from West Indies (WI) took 16 wickets in 10 games with an average of 12.63. Her economy was also under 6 as she only gave 202 runs in 204 balls with 3 for 5 being the best bowling figures in WPL 2023.
WPL 2023 Purple Cap Winner
Hayley becomes the purple cap winner in WPL 2023 with this performance. Her team also won the title by beating Delhi Capitals women in the final.
(2) Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz Womens)
The left-arm spinner also took 16 wickets and even played one game less than Hayley. But her average is more than the West Indian; being 14.69. Her economy also was on the slightly higher side as compared to Hayley’s. Sophie’s economy in WPL 2023 was over 6 runs as she gave 235 runs in the 213 balls she bowled in the tournament. Her best bowling figures in WPL 2023 were 4 for 13.
Her team finished at No. 3 in the points table. And she played an important role in it. Although UP Warriorz didn’t make it to the final in WPL 2023.
(3) Issy Wong (Mumbai Indians Women)
The Englishwomen also played a huge role for MI W along with Hayley. She took 15 wickets in 10 games with an average of 14. Issy gave only 210 runs in 195 runs and her economy was just over 6 runs per over. Her 4 for 15 was the best bowling figure in WPL 2023.
(4) Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians Women)
MI women are leading the chart and Amelia Kerr is the 3rd bowler in the list from the Mumbai Indians franchise. She took 10 wickets in 10 games with an average of 14.07 and gave only 211 runs in 196 balls. Her best figures in the tournament were 3 for 22. MI Women’s team had so much quality in their bowling attack and that was the reason they won the WPL 2023. All the bowlers bring variety to the bowling attack and the same goes with Amelia Kerr. Her leg spin troubles the opposition batters throughout the tournament and she was successful to take so many wickets in WPL 2023.
(5) Saiqa Ishaque (Mumbai Indians Women)
Another bowler from the MI Women’s team. 4 out of the 5 top 5 wickets takers were MI W bowlers. Saiqa Ishaque joins this list as she took 15 wickets in 10 games with an average of 16.27. She gave 244 runs in 209 runs she bowled in the tournament and her best figures was 4 for 11. She is at No. 5 in the highest wicket-takers list in WPL 2023.
WPL Most Wickets
| Player | Mat | Inns | Overs | Runs | Wkts | 4w | 5w |
| Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians Women) | 10 | 10 | 34.0 | 202 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) | 9 | 9 | 35.3 | 235 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Issy Wong (Mumbai Indians Women) | 10 | 10 | 32.3 | 210 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians Women) | 10 | 10 | 32.4 | 211 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Saika Ishaque (Mumbai Indians Women) | 10 | 10 | 34.5 | 244 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
Conclusion
So these are the top 5 wicket takers in WPL 2023. The list which dominates by the Mumbai Indians women bowlers. As we heard an old saying – “Bowlers wins you tournament.” The performances by the MI W bowlers made this quote right. They also have another bowler in the top 10. Natalie Sciver is at No. 8 in the list with 10 wickets in 10 games with an average of 22. No doubt why MI W won the inaugural title of the Women’s Premier League.
The next edition of WPL is set to take place in February 2024 with a home-and-away format. Arun Dhumal also confirmed the news. Also, WPL will also have a bigger window after considering the suitable time slot and India’s international commitment. Last time, the WPL was held in Mumbai only, across two venues.
What do you think? Who will win the WPL 2024 title next year? And who will be the leading wicket-taker that time? So many predictions to make. Fill in the comment section with your predictions.
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