From Mandhana to Athapaththu: Top five batters to watch out in WPL 2024

A look at the top five contenders who could take home the Orange Cap by being leading run-scorers and top batters in WPL 2024

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) will kick off its second season on Friday, December 23 at the M Chinnswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The successful inaugural season saw a lot of runs coming from the bats of women cricketers. The tally could get bigger this season because of batting-friendly wickets in Bengaluru. 

Here are the top five contenders who could take home the Orange Cap by being leading run-scorers. 

Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana, an elegant ball driver, has improved leaps and bounds in the shortest format of the game. Although she had a poor 2023 WPL, where she could amass only 149 runs in eight innings at a lowly average of 18.62. 

But ever since then, she has hit one fifty and two scores of 40 plus in just 12 innings. With the Royal Challengers Bangalore supporters backing her at the home ground of M Chinnaswamy Stadium, she would be backed to be the best batter this season. 

Meg Lanning

Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning was the leading run-scorer in WPL 2023, scoring 345 runs in nine innings. Now retired, Lanning has only played domestic cricket where she featured in the Australian Women’s Big Bash League and and domestic 50-over competition. The former Aussie skipper scored four fifties and remained not out in three of them in her last 10 innings, showcasing the kind of form she is carrying into WPL 2024. 

Also Read: WPL 2024 full schedule, match timings, format, squads, live streaming

Chamari Athapaththu 

Sri Lanka’s ace batter, who has performed day in and day out for the country and in various leagues across the globe, including the WBBL and the Super Smash recently, would be eyeing an impressive first outing in the WPL. 

Athapaththu, who was named captain of the ICC Women’s T20I and ODI teams of the year 2023 and Women’s ODI Player of the Year 2023, will be watched very carefully as she has been brought into the WPL as a replacement player, after being ignored in the initial auction. 

Richa Ghosh

An Indian batter who is slowly, but surely living up to the expectations is Richa Ghosh. Ghosh, who made her debut at the young age of 17, has matured well as she nearly took India to victory in one of the ODIs against Australia, scoring 96. Behind the stumps, she is livewire too. Batting in the top-order now, the 20-year-old would look to better her stats of WPL 2023 where she scored only 138 runs with 37 being her best in 8 innings. 

Beth Mooney

Beth Mooney, who missed out on the inaugural season with injury, would be looking to continue her impressive form where she has scored six fifties in her last 109 innings across three formats. 30-year-old Mooney would also have the added responsibility of captaining Gujarat Giants on her shoulders and Australians always shine when they are in the most crunch situations.