Who is Nandani Sharma? Meet the Chandigarh pacer representing Delhi Capitals Women — skills, journey, and current purple cap holder in WPL 2026.
Until the evening of January 11 this year, Nandani Sharma was just a right-arm pacer from Chandigarh. The stand-out line in her CV was being part of the Delhi Capitals Women (DCW) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, where the three-time runners-up signed the 24-year-old for the base price of INR 20 lakh.
However, it took just six balls against the Gujarat Giants (GG) for the uncapped India pacer to turn the league on its head. On a balmy evening at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the WPL 2026 witnessed one of the most meteoric rises in recent cricketing memory. Playing only her second professional game of the competition, Nandani delivered a spell for the ages.
Read More: Top 5 young players to watch out for in WPL 2026
Nandani’s 5-star show & hat-trick against Gujarat
When Delhi’s newly appointed captain, Jemimah Rodrigues, opted to bowl first, she had little idea of the nightmarish powerplay that awaited. The Giants cruised to 28 without loss in three overs before Rodrigues turned to the young Nandani. Veteran Sophie Devine then belted Nandani’s raw pace around the park.
The first two deliveries were thumped to the boundary before Devine smoked the fourth ball over the sightscreen for six. Inexperienced, Nandani continued to pitch the ball up in the New Zealand batter’s hitting zone. But the Chandigarh-born pacer had her sweet revenge in her second over.
After three quiet deliveries, Devine swung hard across the line, but Nandani took the pace off the ball. The right-hander miscued the back-of-the-hand slower delivery towards short fine leg, where Shree Charani settled under it to take a safe catch.
It highlighted the uncapped pacer’s ability to learn quickly from her earlier mistakes. Her third over went for just eight runs, which felt like gold dust in that situation for the bowling group. Meanwhile, the Giants regained momentum, scoring 67 runs in the next six overs. It was a brave call from Rodrigues to hand the ball to the young Nandani for the vital final over.
Nandani began with a short-of-a-length delivery on middle and leg to Kashvee Gautam, who failed to get the elevation and picked out the fielder at long-on. Two balls later, the right-arm pacer delivered an off-cutter. Kanika Ahuja advanced down the track but was beaten by the lack of pace, with Lizelle Lee taking a sharp catch behind the stumps.
On the very next delivery, Nandani kept the ball on the stump line as Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s mistimed flick went awry. The ball brushed the back pad and rattled the timber, opening up the chance for both a five-wicket haul and a hat-trick.
The field remained largely unchanged. The Giants’ number 11, Renuka Singh Thakur, attempted to swipe at a length ball, but it clipped her pads and rolled back onto the stumps. Nandani, thus, became only the second India bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in the WPL, after Asha Sobhana’s 5/22.
Nandani’s 5/33 now stands as the fifth-best bowling figures in WPL history. Her hat-trick was only the second by an India bowler in the league, after Deepti Sharma’s effort against the UP Warriorz in 2024.
Read More: What makes Nadine de Klerk the most fearsome power-hitter in women’s cricket?
Attacking the stumps: Nandani’s simple mantra
Before her WPL 2026 debut against the Mumbai Indians (MI), Nandani’s last professional appearance had come in April 2024. She featured for the North Zone under Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership in the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy, where she claimed two vital second-innings wickets of Deepti Sharma and Uma Chetry.
It underlined the immense pressure she faced in the WPL, playing in front of a packed crowd. The intensity perhaps peaked when she watched World Cup winner Sneh Rana being taken for 32 runs in her first and only over against Gujarat. Yet, Nandani kept her plans simple and did not allow her emotions to drain her.
“I was just focused on bowling at my target. Shafali and Jemimah were talking to me before every ball, and the plan was simple—to attack the stumps. I didn’t expect a hat-trick, but the team kept telling me that wickets would come,” Nandani said in the mid-innings break after registering the WPL hat-trick.
She also spoke about using pace variations, especially with batters picking her stock deliveries with ease. Having some of her family at the ground that evening was the cherry on the cake for the young Nandani.
“After my first over, I realised the batters were picking my stock ball well, so I decided to use my variations, and thankfully it worked. My brother, mother, and a close friend are here at the ground, while the rest of my family is watching from home. They have all been incredibly supportive,” Nandani addressed in the same interaction.
Over the last three seasons of WPL, India have earned several players who have come through the ranks. Nandani could be the next one in the list. Currently holding the purple cap with seven wickets in the 2026 season, the eyes will be more on the youngster. Her next game will be on January 17 against the RCB in Navi Mumbai.
🚨 𝐇𝐚𝐭-𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 🚨
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) January 11, 2026
Nandni Sharma, you beauty 👌 #TATAWPL's 4th hat-trick 🫡
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/owLBJyAIzb #TATAWPL | #KhelEmotionKa | #DCvGG | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/Crnlx2PW5I
Read More: Top 5 players to watch out for in WPL 2026
