3 Indian bowlers who can win the Purple Cap in WPL 2023
Much like the Indian Premier League (IPL), the WPL 2023 season will see bowlers fight it out for the coveted Purple Cap. Bowlers are known to win tournaments - particularly in T20 cricket - and it will be no different in the inaugural edition of this marquee competition either.
The fact that Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) have gotten off to rollicking starts is down in large part to their stellar bowling outfits turning up on true batting surfaces thus far.
The season also provides young and uncapped Indian bowlers the opportunity to put their hand up for higher honors. While some have shown what the hype around them is all about, there are others who will look to get into the competition sooner rather than later.
Here, we look at three Indian bowlers who are strong contenders for the Purple Cap in WPL 2023.
#1 Saika Ishaque (Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai Indians' clinical start to WPL 2023 coincided with Saika Ishaque's emergence as a star to watch out for. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur talked her up at the toss of their opening fixture against the Gujarat Giants (GG) and the left-arm spinner has so far lived up to every bit of it.
Ishaque is the incumbent holder of the Purple Cap, having snared six wickets from two outings for MI. She is well ahead of any other Indian in the tournament, even if it remains early days in the competition.
Should she continue chipping away at the wickets for fun, there is every chance that the Purple Cap will remain fixed on her head at the end of the WPL 2023 season.
#2 Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
#UPvGG @Deepti_Sharma06🤓 Sharmaji ki beti ki 'right-arm off-spin' ❤️🔥 #UPvGG @Deepti_Sharma06 https://t.co/scnZwPFljZ
It has been a disappointing start to Deepti Sharma's WPL 2023 season. Although the UP Warriorz (UPW) vice-captain has looked out of sorts with the bat, she has fared better on the bowling front.
Having bagged two wickets in as many games, Deepti will look to add to her tally as the season progresses. There is generally a direct correlation and causation effect between her wickets and her team's performance, and the Warriorz will breathe easy should she make it a habit.
With the pitches expected to tire out towards the second half of the tournament, expect the off-spinner to get into her own soon and prove to be a serious contender for the Purple Cap.
#3 Renuka Thakur (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
-fer against 🏴
| Here's a look at her magical spell 
Renuka Thakur was on 🔥 last night as she registered a 4️⃣-fer against 🏴
📹 | Here's a look at her magical spell ✨
#ENGvIND #RenukaThakur #TeamIndia #SonySportsNetwork #SirfSonyPeDikhega https://t.co/V6JTydccFC
Renuka Thakur remains India's No. 1 fast-bowler in the women's game today and unsurprisingly commanded a lot of attention at the WPL 2023 auction. However, the swing bowler from Shimla is yet to light up the tournament for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Having endured two wicketless outings, this has automatically correlated with RCB's failure to register points on the board. Their bowling unit looks heavily reliant on Thakur to make early inroads and Bangalore pin their hopes on the same in the coming days.
It is important to factor in one aspect though - when Thakur picks up wickets, she picks them up in a cluster. All she needs is a big game or two to rekindle that happy knack of snaring wickets and throwing her hat into the ring for the Purple Cap.
Which Indian bowler do you think stands the best chance of winning the Purple Cap in WPL 2023? Let us know your thoughts below in the comments section!
Also read: Ranking the wicketkeepers of all WPL 2023 teams