The WPL 2024 is all set to get underway on February 23. Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Delhi Capitals, led by the evergreen Meg Lanning, will be up against each other in the opening game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
The auction took place last year where several players went under the hammer. Last year, the tournament was a witness to some of the world’s best all-rounders and the upcoming season will be no different. The WPL 2024 will be an absolute spectacle with plenty of stars taking part.
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All-rounders who could set the WPL 2024 alight with their performance
Marizanne Kapp
Marizanne Kapp is among the greatest all-rounders in women’s cricket, having contributed heavily for South Africa and various franchises around the world. Last time around, she played a crucial role in the Capitals making their way through to the final.
Last time around, she scored 177 runs from 7 innings at an average of 44.25 and a strike-rate of 121.23. Kapp also picked up 9 wickets at an economy rate of 5.72.
Kapp also rattled the Gujarat Giants with a 5-wicket haul. She had become the 3rd after her former teammate Tara Norris and Kim Garth to achieve the landmark. She is in good rhythm after playing well on the tour of South Africa.
Alice Capsey
Alice Capsey is among the brightest prospects in English cricket. Apart from being a clean striker of the cricket ball, the 19-year-old is more than handy as an off-break bowler. Capsey was one of the key performers for the Capitals last season.
She scored 159 runs from 7 innings at an average of 26.50 and a strike-rate of 155.88 with a top score of 38 not out to her name. Capsey also picked up 9 wickets at an economy rate of 7.02 with a 3-wicket haul to her name.
Capsey also holds the record for the fastest fifty by an English woman in T20Is off 21 balls.
Issy Wong
Issy Wong was a part of history in the inaugural edition of the WPL. In the Eliminator against the UP Warriorz, the youngster became the first to pick up a hat-trick. She outfoxed Alyssa Healy with a slower ball after which she removed the dangerous and well-set Kiran Navgire.
Thereafter, Wong got rid of Simran Sheikh after which she castled Sophie Ecclestone to pick up the hat-trick. She finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker for MI, having picked up 15 wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 6.46.
One should not forget that Wong is also a powerful striker of the ball after she scored 61 runs last season at a strike-rate of 132.6.
Hayley Matthews with her 8th consecutive Player Of The Match award.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 5, 2023
One of the greatest run in T20i history! pic.twitter.com/6zAiCTZyXh
Hayley Matthews
Last year, West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews made history after she won 7 back-to-back Player of the Match award in T20Is. She also scored 132 against Australia and recorded the highest individual score by a West Indies batter in T20Is.
In the WPL 2023, Matthews was simply unstoppable. In 10 matches, she scored 271 runs at an average of 30.11 and a strike-rate of 126.04 with a top score of 77 not out to her name.
Matthews finished as the top wicket-taker of the tournament after she accounted for 16 scalps at an economy rate of 5.94. She is again expected to play a crucial role for MI.
Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry recently played his 300th international match for Australia on the tour of India. She is a veteran of the game, having played several match-winning hands for her national team and in franchise leagues.
Although RCB could not qualify for the playoffs last season, Perry showed her class. In 8 matches, she scored 253 runs at an average of 42.16 and a strike-rate of 123.41 with 2 half-centuries and a top score of 67 not out to her name.
Perry also picked up 4 wickets with a 3-wicket haul. If RCB are to turn their fortunes around, Perry must come to the party.
Nat Sciver-Brunt
Nat Sciver-Brunt won the Player of the Tournament award in the inaugural edition of the WPL and that goes how good a cricketer she is. Apart from being consistent for England across all 3 formats, Sciver-Brunt has been stupendous for MI and other franchisees around the world.
In WPL 2023, Sciver-Brunt finished as the second-highest run-scorer for MI after she notched 332 runs from 10 matches at an average off 66.40 and a strike-rate of 140.08 with 3 fifties to her name.
In the final against DC, she scored an unbeaten 60 off 55 balls. She was also effective with the ball, finishing with 10 wickets at an economy rate of 7.12.
Annabel Sutherland
Annabel Sutherland did not have the best of times for Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL. But she has had a stupendous time of late. Sutherland recently smashed the fastest double hundred in Women’s Tests against South Africa and picked up 5 wickets.
Sutherland also recorded the second-highest score by an Australian woman in Tests after Ellyse Perry. For the upcoming WPL, Delhi Capitals shelled out INR 2 crore for the youngster.
Recently, she played well on the tour of India and DC will be hoping for her to replicate something similar. With Lanning as her skipper, Sutherland would look to flourish.
Aa gayi hai phir bawaal machane, Tahlia Mcgrath 😎⚡️ pic.twitter.com/4mng7UmORG
— UP Warriorz (@UPWarriorz) February 20, 2024
Tahlia McGrath
Tahlia McGrath is a brute force when it comes to striking the ball a long distance. In 9 matches for the UP Warriorz in WPL 2023, McGrath scored 302 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike-rate of 158.11 with 4 half-centuries to show for her efforts.
McGrath got her top score of 90 against the Capitals, although in a losing cause. Although she was not effective with the ball in hand, a cricketer of McGrath’s class can be expected to stage a comeback.
Having scored 900 T20Is runs and picking up 17 wickets, McGrath has been a class act.
