The inaugural WPL has a number of unknowns, including a few names among the 57 Indians that few are familiar with. Let’s examine some of the lesser-known players that could steal the show when the tournament begins on March 4.
Ashwani Kumari (Gujarat Giants)
As Jharkhand finished runners-up in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy in 2020-21, Indrani Roy’s top-order firepower received a flawless finish in the middle order, thanks to Ashwani. Once Roy moved to Railways, Ashwani opened the batting and scored 237 runs in the Senior Women’s T20 Competition earlier this season at a strike rate of 135.42 – second only to Jasia Akhtar’s 138.57 among those with at least 150 runs in the tournament. With so many top-order options available to the Giants, Ashwani may have to prove her worth as a finisher and contribute with her right-arm seam bowling.
V Sneha Deepthi (Delhi Capitals)
Deepthi’s unique selling point is not just being the only active member in the Indian domestic circuit. She hits the ball powerfully and can take advantage of the powerplay at the top of the order. At the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20s in November last year, she led South Zone with 114 runs in five outings with a strike rate of 162.85. It won’t be surprising if the Capitals pair Deepthi with Shafali Verma at the top, ahead of some of the other alternatives. Having already gotten a taste of playing for India – while being the youngest T20I debutant for India before Shafali – she’d be hungry for more.
Kasat Disha (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Kasat, along with Bharti Fulmali, Komal Zanzad, and Nupur Kohale, has been consistent for Vidarbha on the domestic circuit. She topped the Senior Women’s T20 Tournament batting records with 300 runs at a strike rate of 114.50, prompting Royal Challengers Bangalore to sign her for INR 10 lakh. If they decide to go with an Indian duo, Kasat might potentially accompany captain Smriti Mandhana at the top of the order. As a natural stroke maker, she may prefer the surfaces at Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium.
Amanjot Kaur (Mumbai Indians)
Amanjot has the ability to strike the ball hard as well as bowl seam, which is something that most teams value. She returned to Punjab after relocating to Chandigarh in 2019-20, citing a desire for new challenges and competition as the reason for her progress. Also, she averaged more than a run per ball for Punjab during the domestic season and took eight wickets in the Inter-Zonals. She kept her cool on her India debut despite being in a difficult situation in the lower-middle order, which should serve her well in the Mumbai Indians side, where alternatives for the top order are plenty.
Kiran Prabhu Navgire (UP Warriorz)
She rose to prominence after becoming the first Indian to score 150 or more runs in a T20 match with a 76-ball 162 for Nagaland versus Arunachal Pradesh. Other hard-hitting heroics in the Women’s T20 Challenge last year saw her earn her India cap. She was discarded after the Women’s T20 Asia Cup last year after failing to capitalize on intermittent opportunities at the elite level. She followed that with a disappointing Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy performance. The absence of Indian batting options in the Warriors squad could push her into getting more chances and perhaps reclaiming her lost glory.
Shreyanka Patil (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Patil is an offspinner with a high arm motion who generates dip and turn and bowls economically. She took 20 wickets for Karnataka, who came second in the Senior Women’s One-Day Tournament. During the domestic season, she also took 18 wickets in three T20 events. She is also a consistent batter, and it will not be surprising if she begins for the Royal Challengers in order to have a long batting order.
Jintimani Kalita (Mumbai Indians)
Assam was four down for 56 in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy. Kalita came in and batted maturely, scoring 78 off 114 balls to help them reach 214, which was one run too many for Meghalaya. She is the only Assamese player in the WPL and bowls seam. When it comes to seam-bowling all-rounders, Mumbai Indians have a few choices, but Kalita is the only one who bats left-handed. She also competed in the Under-19 Women’s Quadrangular Series last year, alongside Sri Lanka and the West Indies. Regardless of the opportunities she is given, she will be richer in experience after rubbing shoulders with Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, and Issy Wong.
