3 young stars who could quickly make their way into the Indian side after WPL 2023
The curtains fell on the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL 2023) on Sunday, March 26, with the Mumbai Indians (MI) clinching victory in a tightly contested final against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
WPL 2023 didn't unearth too many players who could immediately be selected in the Indian team. The tournament was restricted to just five teams and was dominated by international stars who walked away with most of the individual accolades.
However, there were a select few who managed to catch the eye. Here are three young stars who could use the WPL platform to quickly make their way into the Indian side during the upcoming years.
#3 Kanika Ahuja
Sorry, I missed Kanika Ahuja. She has something about her with bat and in the field
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) endured a disappointing campaign overall as they missed out on the playoffs, but a few uncapped players managed to make an impression. One of those was Kanika Ahuja, who played seven matches for the franchise in WPL 2023.
Kanika scored only 98 runs in the tournament in six innings but managed to show glimpses of her immense potential. She displayed great intent throughout and always looked to bat with intent and innovation. Her strike rate of 132.43 was on the higher side, and her highest score - 46 - was a superb knock.
Kanika even rolled her arm over in one game and picked up two wickets. It's definitely too early to claim that the 20-year-old should be in the national reckoning, but at some point in the next year or two, she could be in with a shout to make her debut.
#2 Parshavi Chopra
Young Parshavi Chopra was probably the only player from India's recent U19 batch - excluding the already established international stars, of course - to impress in WPL 2023.
Parshavi played four matches for the UP Warriorz (UPW) as the pitches slowed down and showed great character. She picked up three wickets at an economy rate of 8.16, and while those may not seem like great numbers, her googly came out well and she seemed to be at home bowling to experienced overseas batters.
Team India have been searching for a quality leg-spinner for a while now, and Parshavi could be fast-tracked into the side. The 16-year-old certainly doesn't seem like one to be bogged down by pressure and might easily make the step up.
#1 Shreyanka Patil
#WPL2023
Wow, some praise from Ellyse Perry for Shreyanka Patil. "Super young and to see her bat the way she does and the bowling talent. She is a special star for future. I haven't seen someone like that of her age around the world for a long time with that skill and attitude. https://t.co/lb4OzK1Y8x
Shreyanka Patil was one of the standout performers for RCB in WPL 2023. In fact, during certain phases, she was perhaps the lone bright spot.
Shreyanka played seven matches for Smriti Mandhana and Co., picking up six wickets at an economy rate of 9.84. She was immediately thrust into difficult situations such as bowling at the death and came out well, with her yorker hitting the target more often than not.
Shreyanka also displayed a wide range of strokes, including the reverse-hit. The 20-year-old had a strike rate of 151.22 in WPL 2023, striking 10 fours and one six in an admittedly small sample size.
While Shreyanka might not be in the national reckoning this year, it wouldn't be a stretch to claim that her name is already being discussed as one for the near future.