"Can't wait to see what she does in the next couple of years" - Lisa Sthalekar names Shreyanka Patil as find of WPL 2023
Former Australian captain Lisa Sthalekar has opined that Shreyanka Patil was the find of the first season of the Women's Premier League (WPL).
WPL 2023 came to an end on Sunday following Mumbai Indians' seven-wicket victory against Delhi Capitals in the final at the Brabourne Stadium.
The 22-match event unfurled many youngsters from India and a few from overseas nations as well in front of a country obsessed with cricket.
One such youngster was the Royal Challengers Bangalore's Shreyanka Patil, who was in the limelight in her team's dismal campaign.
The 20-year-old scored 62 runs lower down the order at a strike rate of 151.22 while picking up six wickets at an economy of 9.85. Shreyanka Patil impressed with the audacity to play unorthodox shots against world-class bowlers.
Speaking to Cricbuzz about the most emerging player in the WPL, Lisa Sthalekar, who was the mentor for the UP Warriorz in the tournament, said:
"This is what WPL is all about...finding those little nuggets of gold and domestic players, players that as an international commentator, I haven't necessarily seen. I may have seen their names or heard about them but my find of the tournament is Shreyanka Patil from RCB."
Sthalekar added on Shreyanka Patil:
"I think while she is young, there is a lot of talent there. She is willing to take the game on with the bat in hand. From a bowling point of view, I like what she does.
"I'm sure she will learn her craft a little bit better to be effective in T20 cricket but I certainly think she has got a big career ahead of her. I can't wait to see what she does in the next couple of years."
"Two quality overseas players stood up when Mumbai needed it the most" - Lisa Sthalekar
West Indies' Hayley Matthews and England's Nat Sciver-Brunt were two of the most consistent performers in the Mumbai Indians' title triumph.
Matthews scored 271 runs at a strike rate of 126.05 and picked up 16 wickets at an economy rate of 5.94 to win the Purple Cap in the first season.
Sciver-Brunt hit back-to-back half-centuries while remaining unbeaten in the knockout matches, including 60* off 55 balls in the final. The England all-rounder finished as the second-highest run-getter - 332 runs in 10 matches - just behind Meg Lanning (345).
While naming the most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament, Sthalekar chose both Matthews and Sciver-Brunt.
She said:
"Matthews was explosive from the front end from a batting point of view and then her bowling took over as the pitches turned. Nat Sciver-Brunt at the start maybe went missing a little bit in the middle but she did turn it on at the crucial times."
She added:
"So I'm going to split it because I think two quality overseas players stood up when Mumbai needed it the most."
Amazing Win for Mumbai Indians. 
This is Brutal Chase by Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver. 🔥 Amazing Win for Mumbai Indians. 💙
#MumbaiIndians #MIvRCB #WPL2023 https://t.co/f3E8grnfSa
Matthews was named the Player of the Tournament for her all-round brilliance for the inaugural winners of the WPL.