WPL 2026 preview: Top Five players who could shape the tournament with bat, ball, and all-round impact.
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 begins on January 9 at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. The two-time champions, Mumbai Indians Women (MIW), will lock horns with the 2024 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCBW) in the curtain raiser.
The competition has already built a massive fanbase over the last three seasons. The WPL has also ensured that young Indian women cricketers get equal opportunities and share the dressing room with world-class players. Their growth in various skills saw the Blue Brigade lift their maiden Women’s 50-over World Cup at home. Heading into the new edition, the focus remains on certain world-class players.
Read More: Top 5 young players to watch out for in WPL 2026
Let’s take a look at the top five players to watch out for in WPL 2026
Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals)
The young and aggressive opening batter, Shafali Verma, remains the leading run-getter of WPL history among India players. She has notched up 865 runs in 27 innings at an average of 36.04. The 21-year-old scored these runs at a strike rate of 162.59, thanks to six fifties and a best score of 84.
Shafali finished the last season of WPL with 304 runs in nine innings for the Delhi Capitals Women (DCW). She averaged 38 at a strike rate of 152.76 and recorded one fifty. Consistency is something she would look to improve heading into the new season.
The Haryana-born also won the ‘Player of the Match’ award during the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 final against South Africa. Shafali has been the second leading run-getter in WT20Is among Test-playing nations in 2025. The right-handed batter bagged 417 runs in just 10 innings at a blistering strike rate of 170.90, thanks to four fifties.
Read More: Shafali Verma proved to be the game-changer for India in the final; What makes her a go-getter?
Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
It was a shocking decision from the UP Warriorz to not retain the spin all-rounder, Deepti Sharma, ahead of the WPL 2026 auction. But they finally acquired her services for a price of INR 3.2 crore. Deepti struggled in the previous WPL 2024/25 season with just eight wickets at an economy rate of 8.68.
The Agra-born gained her form back during the Women’s World Cup 2025 with 22 wickets at 20.40 in just nine innings. Since the beginning of 2025, she has bagged 14 wickets in nine WT20I innings at a decent economy rate of 7.02.
Deepti Sharma, who is currently the leading wicket-taker in WT20Is with 152 wickets at an economy rate of 6.12, will look to continue the same success in WPL 2026.
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Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians)
Hayley Matthews is the Mumbai Indians’ second leading run-getter in WPL history with 758 runs at a strike rate of 121.47. Even with the ball, she is the competition’s highest wicket-taker with 41 wickets at an economy rate of 7.24.
In the previous season of the event, the West Indies all-rounder contributed massively to Mumbai’s second WPL title-run. She picked up 18 wickets at 17.05 in 10 innings, besides notching up 307 runs in 10 innings at a decent strike rate of 122.80.
Since the beginning of 2025, Matthews has recorded 411 runs in WT20Is at an average of 82.2 and a strike rate of 127.24. This was decorated with four half-centuries and one century. Heading into the WPL 2026, MIW hope to see the same fierce performance from the 27-year-old.
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Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
India’s veteran opener, Smriti Mandhana, is currently the second leading run-getter in WT20Is. The southpaw has cracked 4102 runs in 151 innings at a strike rate of 124.22, scoring 32 half-centuries and one century. Leading the RCBW, Mandhana will need to carry the responsibility of the batting department.
Since the beginning of 2025, the Maharashtra-born has been India’s second leading run-getter in WT20Is. Mandhana has managed 341 runs in nine innings at a blistering strike rate of 135.85, scoring two fifties and one century.
In the absence of Ellyse Perry in WPL 2026, Mandhana will be under pressure to stand out with the bat. When RCB won the title in 2024, the opening batter scored 300 runs at a strike rate of 133.92. That’s another reflection of her importance for the Bengaluru-based side.
Lauren Bell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
Standing six feet tall, Lauren Bell bowls with good pace and possesses a sharp inswinger. She can swing the ball both ways, having worked hard on her action. Making the most of her height, Bell has refined her pace and gained better control over her swing. The WPL 2026 will be her first experience of the league after the RCBW signed her for INR 90 lakh.
In the previous WPL season, Bengaluru struggled to pick wickets. Shreyanka Patil, RCBW’s leading wicket-taker, collected six wickets at an economy rate of 9.84. That’s where Bell will need to stand out with the ball.
Since January 2025, the 25-year-old has been England’s leading wicket-taker in WT20Is. She has picked up 15 wickets in nine innings at an average of 17.20 and an economy rate of 7.58. Bengaluru will hope to see Bell earn massive success in her maiden WPL edition.
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