In a format slightly tilted towards the batters, bowlers have a huge task of getting breakthroughs at crucial junctures. And if a bowler is successful in picking up wickets consistently, they can steer their team over the ropes.
In the Women’s Premier League (WPL), bowlers play a crucial role while restricting opponents to a decent total or defending the target. In the process, they grab heaps of wickets, staying at the top of the wicket chart.
The bowler with the most wickets at the end of the season, fittingly, gets rewarded with the Purple Cap. The Purple Cap is a testament to the bowler’s mastery unleashed on the pitch.
This article will list the Purple Cap-winning bowlers in the WPL.
WPL Purple Cap Winners List
| Year | Winner | Wickets | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hayley Matthews | 16 | MI |
| 2024 | Shreyanka Patil | 13 | RCB |
Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians) | 2023
The West Indies players have always delivered for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL, and it was no different in the inaugural WPL edition. In the 2023 WPL Auction, Hayley Matthews went unsold in the first round until MI bought her in the accelerated round.
Matthews proved the faith shown by MI management in her by winning the Purple Cap in 2023. She picked up 16 wickets in 10 matches, including four 3-wicket hauls, helping MI win the WPL title.
Matthews wasn’t just the best bowler but the best all-rounder throughout the season, also claiming the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament award.
Shreyanka Patil (Royal Challengers Bangalore) | 2024
The 2024 WPL edition witnessed an Indian bowler clinch the Purple Cap for the first time. Karnataka’s young sensation, Shreyanka Patil, had an impressive outing with the ball for her home side, RCB.
The off-spinner grabbed 13 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 12.07 and a strike rate of 9.92. In 2 of those matches, Patil picked up 2 four-wicket hauls, with her best figures of 4 for 12 coming in the final which RCB won.
