WPL 2023: Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match (Updated)

The fourth match of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) saw the two biggest franchise establishments - the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) taking on each other at the Brabourne Stadium on March 6.

Smriti Mandhana won the toss for RCB and opted to bat first on a windy evening in Mumbai. RCB were on course for a brisk start but were dented by the MI spinners - Saika Ishaque and Hayley Matthews - in the powerplay. They collapsed from 39-0 to 43-4 in no time to cap off a disastrous initial phase of the innings.

Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja stitched up a small partnership, while the rest of the lower-middle order also chipped in with contributions to get to a below-par score of 155. They were bowled out with eight balls to spare as Meghan Schutt was the last wicket to fall in the innings.

MI got off to a breezy start in their run chase courtesy of the opening pair of Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side sailed to 54 runs in the powerplay with the loss of the sole wicket in the form of Yastika Bhatia.

Runs continued to flow as the overseas pair of Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt took the team to the three-figure mark in no time. They also brought up the 100-run partnership mark for the second wicket as MI hunted down the target with over five overs to spare.

WPL 2023 Orange Cap updated list

West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews continued right where she left off from the opening game. She overtook Shafali Verma to claim the No.1 spot in the Orange Cap rankings. The right-handed batter recorded her first fifty of the campaign to eventually score an unbeaten 77, taking her run tally to 124 runs.

Clean striking 💥

@MyNameIs_Hayley on a roll with the bat too!

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#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB https://t.co/ONSZ5ZA6MT

Nat Sciver-Brunt also tore through the list with her explosive knock coming at No.3. The England international brought up her first half-century of the campaign and finished unbeaten on 55 to rise to third spot in the Orange Cap rankings, overtaking DC skipper Meg Lanning in the process.

WPL 2023 Purple Cap updated list

In-form left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque overtook Tara Norris on the wicket-taking charts after another successful outing. She took the crucial wicket of Sophie Devine to set things rolling for MI and bowled Kasat for a duck in the very same over. Her figures of 2-26, helped increased her tally to six wickets to claim the top spot in the WPL Purple Cap rankings.

1⃣ brings 2⃣, they say! 💬

Saika Ishaque agrees & how! 👏 👏

Watch how she dismissed Sophie Devine & Disha Kasat 🔽

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#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB | @mipaltan https://t.co/DMAwM6DgXR

Hayley Matthews, who was massively overlooked during the inaugural WPL auction, made a statement with the ball as well. She was introduced late into the attack in the opening clash against the Gujarat Giants, but the West Indies international was given the new ball this time around.

While she conceded 11 runs in the first over, her matchup against Smriti Mandhana worked as she claimed the prized scalp. The off-spinner added two more wickets to her tally to finish with figures of 3-28 off her four overs.

Amelia Kerr made quick work of the tail to add two more wickets to her existing two-wicket tally to climb up in the rankings.

Who will win the Orange Cap and the Purple Cap in WPL 2023? Let us know what you think.

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