WPL 2023: Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match (Updated)
The first game of the second half of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) witnessed the Delhi Capitals (DC) take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the DY Patil Stadium on Monday, March 13.
DC ended up on the winning side after successfully chasing down the target with two deliveries to spare. However, it added to RCB's agony, who are now virtually eliminated from the competition with three games left.
Meg Lanning won the toss for DC and elected to bowl first. Shikha Pandey was responsible for sending both the openers back into the hut, including Smriti Mandhana, who once again departed early.
Following the dismissal of Heather Knight, courtesy of a sharp catch by Shikha Pandey, who could not be kept away from the action, RCB were tottering at 63-3 in the 13th over.
Ellyse Perry, however, along with Richa Ghosh, put up an imposing partnership for the fourth wicket. The pair added 74 runs in no time, helping RCB put up a competitive total on the board and hand DC a 151-run target.
Shafali Verma's topsy-turvy season took another drastic turn after being bowled by Megan Schutt for a first-ball duck. DC were under pressure at one point after the in-form Lanning followed suit to the pavilion as well.
The Capitals middle order stepped up to the plate and kept the required rate under check. Alice Capsey played a bright cameo to make the most of the field restrictions. Jemimah Rodrigues and Marizanne Kapp handled the pressure and played composed knocks, while Jess Jonassen came out and played her shots to seal the run chase.
WPL 2023 Orange Cap updated list
Meg Lanning's lead at the top of the pile in the WPL 2023 Orange Cap standings is slowly waning. The DC skipper did not have the best of outings before being dismissed in the ninth over for 15 runs. She became the first batter to cross the 200-run mark for the season and is currently ranked at the top with 221 runs to her name.
Ellyse Perry's purple patch continued after she struck her second consecutive fifty. She overtook a hoard of places on the table to settle for the No.2 spot with 195 runs, sitting narrowly behind Lanning.
Despite bagging a golden duck, Shafali Verma is still the highest run scorer among Indians in the competition with 179 runs in five matches.
WPL 2023 Purple Cap updated list
Veteran seamer Shikha Pandey bowled a tight spell and finished with figures of 3-23, which included the wickets of both RCB openers. She now has the most wickets among pace bowlers, having picked up eight wickets in five matches so far. Her performance also keeps her tied for third place.
The left-arm spin duo of Sophie Ecclestone and Saika Ishaque are well settled at the top of the pile, with the latter currently holding the Purple Cap with 12 scalps to her name.
DC's Tara Norris and Marizanne Kapp also maintained their rankings in the top 10. The left-arm seamer from the USA, who famously claimed a five-wicket haul on her debut, added one more wicket to her tally to overtake Amelia Kerr for the fifth spot with seven wickets.
Who will win the Orange Cap and the Purple Cap in WPL 2023? Let us know what you think.