WPL 2024: From Meg Lanning to Smriti Mandhana; Five Batters who can have a cracking season

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The Women’s Premier League burst onto the scene in 2023 and deservedly got a roaring reception from the fans. The maiden edition became a hit among the cricket fraternity. Meanwhile, WPL 2024 will get underway from February 23 onwards.

As many as five teams are featuring in WPL 2024 include Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Royal Challengers and UP Warriorz. Notably, Mumbai Indians clinched the inaugural edition by defeating Delhi Capitals in the showdown.

In the first edition, many batswomen showcased their mettle by bringing the best out of themselves. While some performed in patches, others took their batting to their next level by maintaining consistency. Let’s take a look at the five batters who are expected to give it their best shot in WPL 2024.

Meg Lanning: Meg Lanning who represents Delhi Capitals in Women’s Premier League was the most consistent top-order batter in the inaugural edition. It is worth noting that she finished the last season as the leading run-scorer, piling up 345 runs at an average of 49.28. The 31-year-old who hit two fifties is expected to have a cracking season this time around.

Alyssa Healy: Alyssa Healy is one of the batters to watch out for in the upcoming edition of the Women's Premier League. The Australian international is known for her aggressive batting style and exceptional wicket-keeping skills. She aggregated 253 runs in 9 appearances for UP Warriorz at a strike rate of 141.34 including 2 fifties.

Hayley Matthews: Hayley Matthews is certain to bring the Caribbean flavor in the truncated version and she had a pretty campaign in the first edition, scoring 271 runs including 1 fifty. West Indies women cricketer was responsible for providing blazing starts for Mumbai Indians and will continue to do the same in the second season.

Shafali Verma: Delhi Capitals immensely benefited from Shafali Verma in the first season of WPL. The right-handed opening batter is known for her aggressive batting style and her ability to score runs at a rate of knots. The 20-year-old scored 252 runs including 2 fifties in the last season at a humongous strike rate of 185.29.

Smriti Mandhana: There were plenty of expectations on Smriti Mandhana in the first edition but she hardly made her presence count for Royal Challengers. The 27-year-old scored 149 runs in 8 games at an average of 18.62 and didn’t hit a fifty. Taking her credentials into account, we can expect the opening batter to make a stellar rebound in WPL 2024.