The Women’s Premier League finally has its first-ever champion, and it is the Mumbai Indians Women who have registered the first indelible mark in what will likely be a long title winners list in the future, after a remarkable inaugural season.
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En route the target of 132 runs, the Delhi Capitals Women’s bowlers gave it their all to contain the MI Women’s strong batting line-up, but Harmanpreet Kaur’s women ultimately prevailed by 7 wickets and with three deliveries to spare, during the grand finale at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
MI Women’s match-winner during the ‘Eliminator’ – star allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, yet again turned up in the night of the final, and registered yet another half-century (60* off 55) before a disciplined show by the DC Women bowlers.
Thus, while Australia’s serial ICC tournament winner Meg Lanning was yet again denied her first major T20 league title, Harmanpreet Kaur did end her T20 title drought tonight.
WPL 2023 Awards List
WPL 2023 Orange Cap
Despite Nat Sciver Brunt’s remarkable half-centuries in the ‘Eliminator’ and the grand finale, she fell 13 runs short from winning the WPL 2023 Orange Cap – for the leading run-scorer of the tournament.
For dominating the entire season for the Delhi Capitals Women, both as the team’s skipper and opening batter, Meg Lanning takes away the Orange Cap for amassing 345 runs across 9 innings at an average of 49.28. She smashed a couple of half-centuries while scoring these runs.
With none of the Indian batters in the top-5 list of highest run-getters in WPL 2023 before the start of the finale, Harmanpreet Kaur, after her innings of 37 (39) tonight did end at the fourth spot, with 281 runs under her belt across nine innings.
WPL 2023 Purple Cap
It was a close contest for the winner of the Purple Cap – for the highest wicket-taker of the tournament. Hayley Mathews (MI Women) and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) were tied with 16 wickets each under their belt.
However, it was Hayley Mathews who walked away with the Purple Cap, for having a better average (12.62), economy rate (5.94), and strike rate (12.7) than Ecclestone.
WPL 2023 Most Valuable Player (MVP)
For ending the season as the highest wicket-taker, amassing 271 runs across 10 innings (fifth-highest run-getter of WPL 2023), and taking a total of five catches, Hayley Mathews walked away with the MVP award as well. She received a trophy and INR 5 Lakh for the same.
WPL 2023 Fair Play award
The two finalists in MI Women and DC Women collectively bagged the Fair Play award for the WPL season.
WPL 2023 Emerging Player award
MI Women’s opening batter Yastika Bhatia was adjudged the Emerging Player of WPL 2023. She ended the season as MI Women’s fourth-highest run getter by scoring 214 runs across 10 innings, at an average of 21.40.
She received a trophy and INR 5 Lakh for the same.
WPL 2023 Catch of the Season
MI Women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, walked away with the ‘Catch of WPL 2023’ award for her grab at slip to dismiss Devika Vaidya against the UP Warriorz. She received a trophy and INR 5 Lakh for the same.
WPL 2023 Super Striker of the Season
RCB Women’s opening batter Sophie Devine won the ‘Super Striker of the Season’ award, for her scintillating innings of 99 off mere 36 deliveries, against Gujarat Giants. She received a trophy and INR 5 Lakh for the same.
WPL 2023 winners and runners-up prize money
The MI Women received INR 6 Crore for winning the WPL 2023 title, while the runners-up in DC Women were handed a cash prize of INR 3 Crore.
Both the teams also received a WPL 2023 special edition watch as well.
