Comprising 20 matches between five teams, the league stage of the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League has witnessed an outright domination by overseas cricketers. Speaking particularly about the batters, Australian cricketers have called the shots as four out of the Top Five highest run-scorers in the league phase belong to Australia.
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If truth be told, the same was always on the expected lines because of two reasons – a) Current set of Australian cricketers form arguably the most successful team in the history of cricket and b) Australian batters have a tendency of doing well in India.
Third-highest run-scorer in WPL 2023 thus far, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is surrounded by Australia captain Meg Lanning and all-rounder Tahlia McGrath and Australia all-rounder Elysse Perry and wicket-keeper batter Alyssa Healy on either side of the list.
Sixth-highest run-scorer ahead of the playoffs, Shafali Verma is the highest run-scorer among Indian cricketers. While Verma’s 241 runs across eight innings have come at an average and strike rate of 34.42 and 182.57, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur follows her at the eighth position with her 230 runs coming at 46 and 149.35.
India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, costliest player in WPL 2023 auction, failed to perform both as a batter and as a captain at Royal Challengers Bangalore Women. 16th highest run-scorer, Mandhana scored 149 runs at a substandard average of 18.62 and a strike rate of 111.19.
With only a couple of matches remaining in this season of the WPL, the likes of Verma, Hayley Matthews (232), Grace Harris (216) and Nat Saciver-Brunt (200) could challenge the below mentioned top batters. While Verma has a solitary match left to play, the remaining three could play a couple of matches depending on who wins the Eliminator on Friday.
Most runs in WPL 2023 (table updated before the final match)
| Batter | Matches | Runs | Highest | Average | SR | 50 |
| Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals Women) | 8 | 310 | 72 | 51.66 | 141.55 | 2 |
| Tahlia McGrath (UP Warriorz Women) | 9 | 302 | 90* | 50.33 | 158.11 | 4 |
| Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians Women) | 9 | 272 | 72 | 54.4 | 149.45 | 2 |
| Sophie Devine (Royal Challengers Bangalore Women) | 8 | 266 | 99 | 33.25 | 172.72 | 2 |
| Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians Women) | 9 | 258 | 77* | 32.25 | 127.09 | 1 |
