A change of match, a change of leaders – or, more accurately, leader-s. After Friday night’s meeting between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Giants, the Women’s Premier League wicket chart suddenly has three names at its summit. Delhi Capitals seamer Nandani Sharma had been out on her own on eight scalps. Now RCB off-spinner Shreyanka Patil and Giants’ swing bowler Sophie Devine have caught her.
Patil stole the headlines with 5 for 23, only the second five-for of this campaign. Speaking to the host broadcaster she admitted, “I tried not to chase wickets, just bowl my lengths. The rewards came later.” Her spell began with the dismissal of Beth Mooney in the powerplay and finished with a burst that wiped out the Giants’ lower order.
Devine had done her bit earlier. Asked to bowl first by captain Ash Gardner, the New Zealander removed Gautami Naik, Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav to return 3 for 31. “The ball swung for two overs, then it was about changing pace,” Devine explained. The haul nudged her to eight wickets, matching Sharma and Patil.
Sharma, who already owns the season’s sole hat-trick, keeps the cap on head-to-head countback, yet Patil could seize it outright when Delhi face Bengaluru on Saturday. Capitals coach Jonathan Batty offered a measured view: “Individual awards are nice, but the table points matter more. Still, it’s good motivation for Nandani.”
While the bowling race tightened, the Orange Cap standings moved only slightly. Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur remains on top with 181 runs at a brisk 160 strike rate despite scoring just 16 in defeat to UP Warriorz. Her next chance to stretch the gap comes in the Saturday double-header, again versus UPW.
Delhi opener Lizelle Lee sits 18 runs behind, her 163 runs built on a more classical tempo. Warriorz batter Phoebe Litchfield is third on 150 after a run-a-ball 25 against Mumbai, with Devine fourth on 149 following a rare failure – she managed only eight in the same fixture that boosted her bowling tally. “You won’t win many trying to be a hero every ball,” she admitted, summing up the batting-bowling balance she constantly juggles.
Key numbers after nine matches
• Purple Cap – Nandani Sharma (DC) 8 wkts, Shreyanka Patil (RCB) 8, Sophie Devine (GG) 8
• Orange Cap – Harmanpreet Kaur (MI) 181 runs, Lizelle Lee (DC) 163, Phoebe Litchfield (UPW) 150
• Best bowling – Sharma 5 for 15, Patil 5 for 23
• Highest strike rate (min 100 runs) – Harmanpreet 160.17
Looking ahead, the Capitals-RCB clash should clarify the Purple Cap picture, while Mumbai’s response against UPW will tell us whether Harmanpreet’s early batting surge can be sustained. As Gardner noted with a wry smile, “Caps are pretty, trophies are prettier.” With a third of the league stage gone, both races remain wide open – and that, more than any coloured headgear, is what should keep viewers tuning in.
