LISTICLE
Follow UsIt has been four months since Ellyse Perry's desperate dive at the square-leg boundary denied India a place in the summit clash of the T20 World Cup in South Africa. The Women in Blue went agonisingly down by five runs at the Newlands Cricket Ground, which shattered millions of hearts.
However, the fans of the game were excited about what was going to follow as the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League was all set to kickstart on March 4 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
History beckoned women's sport as WPL was set to shatter stereotypes and give the domestic players an ideal opportunity to rub shoulders with the international stars whilst creating an impact.
22 games later, the tournament unearthed some stars that well and truly are touted to serve Indian cricket for a very long time. With the away series against Bangladesh set to commence in the first week of July, we look at the five players who impressed with their performances and could make the squad.
Saika Ishaque
On a night when the extravaganza was in full flow, and all eyes were on the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Beth Mooney, there was a young girl from Bengal who announced herself on the biggest stage of her career in the opening fixture.
Saika Ishaque and Amelia Kerr have been unplayable tonight 🫡
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 4, 2023
Yeh raha proof 👇😉 #OneFamily #MumbaIndians #WPL2023 #GGvMIpic.twitter.com/g19J2cK1c8
Plying her trade for Mumbai Indians, Saika Ishaque rattled the Gujarat Giants by scalping four wickets in the second innings to power the team to a thumping 143-run win.
Read: Giant demolition scripts new chapter for Saika Ishaque
The 27-year-old was the backbone of Mumbai's bowling unit in the middle overs and finished the season with 15 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 16.26.
With Radha Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad struggling to provide breakthroughs in the middle overs, Harmanpreet can look to use Saika as a wicket-taking option heading into the build-up for the next mega event.
The left-arm spinner was also part of the players undergoing a specialised training and fitness camp at the National Cricket Academy earlier this month, giving a slight indication that she is indeed in the reckoning for a place in the national set-up soon.
Shreyanka Patil
"She's a real special star for the future. I haven't seen someone like that of her age around the world for a long time," said Ellyse Perry in a press conference during the WPL.
It seldom happens that one of the greatest all-rounders in sports heaps praises on a young local talent who is trying to create a niche for herself.
However, Shreyanka Patil was different as she took the tournament by storm with her fearless hitting down the order and her consistent performances with the ball.
The right-handed batter scored at a strike rate of 151.21 and even scalped six wickets in the competition to be touted as one of the finds of the league.
There isn’t any doubt that she was the bright spot in a dismal campaign for Bangalore, along with another uncapped player Kanika Ahuja. The duo were part of the Women's Emerging Asia Cup side and played a critical role in helping the team emerge as champions in Hong Kong.
The off-spinner scalped five wickets in the first game against the home team and followed it up with a four-wicket haul in the summit clash against Bangladesh.
Star performer for Team 🇮🇳! Shreyanka Patil’s off breaks took the opponents by surprise - her 9 wickets in the tournament helped India ‘A’ win the championship! 🏆 #WomensEmergingTeamsAsiaCup #ACC pic.twitter.com/QEblh69uK6
— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) June 21, 2023
While the 20-year-old faces a stern test from Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana in the Indian squad, the selectors might be tempted to groom her in sluggish conditions that could suit her style of play.
Kanika Ahuja
Another Bangalore player who was the star performer for the team in the inaugural edition is a young all-rounder playing domestic cricket for Punjab.
Kanika Ahuja has been one of the most consistent performers in recent times, and her exploits in the WPL come as no surprise to the people who have followed the local games to the hilt.
The southpaw started the tournament slowly but was the player of the match in Bangalore's first win of the season against UP Warriorz as she top-scored for the side with 46 runs off 30 deliveries, studded with eight boundaries and one massive six in a 136-run chase.
Three 4️⃣s in an over 🔥
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 15, 2023
Kanika Ahuja is playing an important role in the chase for #RCB as she has quickly moved to 44* off 26
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/uW2g78eMJa#TATAWPL | #UPWvRCB pic.twitter.com/3Iw4wrvZmQ
The 20-year-old was part of the Emerging Asia Cup side, scoring an unbeaten 30 in a low-scoring final and picking up two wickets. Her heroics helped the side record a 31-run win, and she was also adjudged as the player of the match for her all-around performance.
With the Indian team looking to add more all-around options down the order and her proven record in the back end of the innings, she can be one of the finishers the team can look to groom alongside Richa Ghosh and Pooja Vastrakar.
Parshavi Chopra
The second-highest wicket-taker in India's emphatic campaign in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, Parshavi Chopra is one of the most improved cricketers in recent times.
The leg spinner scalped 11 wickets at an average of seven and an economy rate of 3.6 runs per over to help India clinch their maiden title in the women's game.
So who else is a Parshavi Chopra fan? 😁#under19worldcup 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/hUkizQpryy
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 29, 2023
At the tender age of 17, Parshavi was picked by UP Warriorz in the league alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Rajeshwari Gayakwad as the spin-bowling options.
While she did not feature in the first few matches, Parshavi impressed Alyssa Healy in the nets and was drafted into the playing XI against the Mumbai Indians.
In the four matches, she scalped three wickets, but most importantly, her ability to consistently bowl in the right areas and have a fearless attitude impressed the most.
With the Indian team struggling to find the ideal leg-spinning option after Poonam Yadav's inconsistent performances, Parshavi can well and truly be one of the youngsters the team management can look to groom, keeping the next edition of the T20 World Cup in mind.
Disha Kasat
One of the leading run-scorers in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, Disha Kasat, has been on the fringes of the national side for the last couple of years.
An aggressive right-handed batter and a useful off-spinner, Disha has been a significant reason behind Vidharbha's rise in domestic cricket. The all-rounder has been pivotal to the team's performance in the T20 trophy and helped them reach the semi-finals of the competition.
While she did not set the tournament on fire with her explosive skills, she showcased glimpses of her talent in a couple of matches for the Royal Challengers.
The 25-year-old was also one of the members in the recently concluded camp ahead of the Bangladesh series, and while she may be to wait a tad longer for her opportunity, the team management is ensuring she is around the group to gain maximum experience and exposure of top-flight cricket.
