The 3rd edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be commenced from February 14, 2025. There is a lot of buzz around the tournament as top elite players will colab and play one of the best tournament. There are certain players who will be watch out for in the coming edition of the 3rd edition.
Top-5 players to watch out for in the upcoming WPL 2025:
Shafali Verma
Shafali made her return to domestic cricket after being dropped by India last November. She excelled in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, finishing as the top run-scorer with 527 runs at a strike rate of 152.31 and an average of 75.29. She also impressed in the Senior Women’s One Day Challenger Trophy with 414 runs, a strike rate of 145.26, and an average of 82.80.
Few batters attack the ball with the same aggression as Shafali at the top of the order. At DC, she has built a successful opening partnership with Meg Lanning. If she continues her consistent form, Shafali could be in line for a comeback to India’s squad, possibly for the England tour in July and the ODI World Cup at home.
Arundhati Reddy
Reddy was dropped from the India squad despite decent performances. She took seven wickets in the T20 World Cup last year, the joint-most for India. After playing just one match on India’s disappointing tour of Australia, where she took 4 for 26 in Perth, Reddy impressed in WPL 2024 with the ball for DC, which helped her secure a potential national comeback. Reddy’s ability to move the ball both ways and bowl sharp yorkers makes her a valuable seam-bowling allrounder. With Pooja Vastrakar’s injury status uncertain, Reddy could be a great asset for India.
Kashvee Gautam
Gautam first gained attention in 2020 after picking up ten wickets, including a hat-trick, in an Under-19 one-dayer for Chandigarh. In December 2023, she was bought for Rs 2 crore by GG at the auction. However, an injury ruled her out of WPL 2024. She made a successful comeback in domestic one-dayers earlier this season. A fast-bowling allrounder, Gautam can generate pace and hit the deck hard – qualities that India was missing during their ODI series in Australia and in home games last season.
Saika Ishaque
Since the 2022 ODI World Cup, India has experimented with six left-arm spinners, but none have been able to secure their spots. Radha Yadav made a successful comeback following a strong WPL 2023 campaign, taking ten wickets in nine matches, and a similar performance from Ishaque could help her add to her four international caps.
Yastika Bhatia
With a big-hitting finisher like Richa Ghosh in the squad, Bhatia’s chances of securing a place in India’s XI seem slim, though injuries have also played a role in limiting her opportunities. Bhatia featured in three ODIs against New Zealand last October but missed the Australia tour due to a wrist injury she sustained during her first WBBL stint.
