Ranking the wicketkeepers of all WPL 2023 teams
The inaugural WPL 2023 season is well and truly up and running. With quality cricket aplenty and players setting the stage alight across departments, it has lived up to every bit of the hype thus far.
An often understated element of a well-balanced playing XI is the wicketkeeper-batter. It's critical to understand the value of the player going by the two facets that define the role. Not only must he/she be a reliable option with the gloves, but the keeper must also contribute as well as a frontline batter normally does.
Let's look at the wicketkeeper options on each WPL 2023 roster and rank them accordingly.
#5 Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals have two Indian wicketkeepers in Taniya Bhatia and Aparna Mondal to call upon for WPL 2023. Both players were picked up at the player auction at their base prices and Taniya has so far assumed the role of a frontline keeper.
While Taniya is easily the best wicketkeeper in India, her batting tempo for T20 cricket leaves a lot to be desired. This puts the Capitals in fifth position on this list.
#4 Gujarat Giants (GG)
#WWC17Smart glove-work by Sushma Verma was voted as your latest @Nissan Play of the Day. Congrats @ImSushVerma! 👊 #WWC17 https://t.co/xCvkLoIg2E
Gujarat Giants' wicketkeeping options include Australia's Beth Mooney, who was appointed their captain ahead of WPL 2023, and India's Sushma Verma.
Verma was recently in the Indian squad as part of the tri-series that preluded the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa, although she hasn't played an international game since 2021, with Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia pipping her.
Mooney took the gloves in the tournament opener, but a knee injury has put her participation for the rest of the tournament in jeopardy. Verma, too, isn't quite the quintessential T20 dasher and the Giants rank fourth on this list for WPL 2023.
#3 Mumbai Indians (MI)
Mumbai Indians have proven to be the team to beat thus far in WPL 2023. The Indian duo of Yastika Bhatia and Priyanka Bala are their wicketkeeping options for the tournament.
Yastika has been a regular in the Indian ODI setup and has served as the reserve wicketkeeper in T20Is, even playing the T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia. She is better suited to open the batting and got a decent start against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday, March 6.
Her glovework has been on an upswing and her left-handedness adds variety to the MI batting lineup. They take the third spot on this list.
#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
18-year-old Richa Ghosh from Siliguri is a future Superstar.
https://t.co/ayqGx5NjxV
Dashing wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh headlines this list for RCB, with Indrani Roy serving as her backup. While Roy generally bats at the top of the order, she has been a prolific run-getter in domestic cricket for a good while now.
Ghosh, on the other hand, is one of the world's most destructive finishing options in the women's game today. She was India's standout player at the recently-concluded T20 World Cup and was also a member of the victorious Women's U19 T20 World Cup squad prior to that.
While she hasn't had a knock of substance yet in WPL 2023, it is only a matter of time before she's expected to make it count. RCB are very well sorted on this front and hence, take the second position.
#1 UP Warriorz (UPW)
Any team that has Alyssa Healy as its wicketkeeper is bound to breathe easy. Sharp with gloves and a bona fide match-winner with the bat who turns up clutch, the Australian superstar is the best in the business in the women's game.
Serving as her backup option is uncapped Indian wicketkeeper Laxmi Yadav. The 25-year-old represents Delhi on the domestic circuit but is yet to play a game in WPL 2023.
While the gulf in experience between Healy and Yadav is a telling one, a fit Healy is going to play every game for the Warriorz this season. Quite clearly, she makes her side the clear winner in this regard, owing to her match-winning abilities.
Which team do you think has the best set of wicket-keepers in WPL 2023? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: 3 changes RCB should make after their loss to MI in WPL 2023