The curtains have come down on WPL 2025, with Mumbai Indians (MI) clinching their second title in three years after defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by eight runs in the final at the Brabourne Stadium. For DC, it was another heartbreak, as they have now lost three finals in three seasons.
Throughout the tournament, Indian stars were in action for their respective teams, with fans closely watching their performances, as they need to be in top form for India’s success in the upcoming ODI World Cup, set to take place later this year.
Before that, however, the Indian women’s team will participate in a tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and South Africa in Sri Lanka, starting on April 27. Here is a closer look at some of the key Indian players.
Smriti Mandhana (RCB)
All eyes were on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the season, especially after their top players were ruled out due to injuries. However, skipper Mandhana started the tournament on a high, winning the first two games. Things seemed to be falling into place, but then they suffered five consecutive defeats, losing all their home matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Their third win of the season came against eventual champions Mumbai Indians (MI), but by then, it was too late to qualify for the playoffs. Mandhana, who is being considered as a future leader of Team India, struggled with her decisions throughout the tournament, particularly in crunch situations. Her choice to use Kanika Ahuja in the death overs against MI and sending herself to bat in the Super Over against UP Warriorz (UPW) backfired badly.
With the bat, she scored 197 runs in eight innings, including two fifties. However, 116 of those runs came in the first three games, with one half-century. In the next five innings, she managed only 81 runs, including a 53-run knock against MI. She failed to lead from the front and looked clueless in pressure situations when her plans did not work. The lack of a Plan B was evident in her captaincy approach.
Rating: 5/10
Shafali Verma (DC)
Currently out of contention for the Indian team, all eyes were on Shafali Verma ahead of this WPL season. She entered the tournament with tons of runs in domestic competitions and was expected to deliver consistently alongside Meg Lanning at the top.
Despite scoring 304 runs in nine innings at an average of 38.00 and a strike rate of 152.76, including one fifty, fans were still not satisfied. The reason? The recurring issue of failing to convert starts into big scores. As usual, she played quickfire 20s and 40s, but given her potential and experience, she was expected to convert those starts into match-winning knocks. She did manage an unbeaten 80 against RCB, but in the final, her approach was puzzling.
Shafali looked opposite to her natural attacking style, opting for a defensive approach and taking extra time to settle before going for big shots. However, that strategy, combined with her shuffle at the crease, did not work in her favour.
Rating: 6/10
Harleen Deol (GG)
Gujarat Giants (GG) qualified for the playoffs for the first time this season before losing the Eliminator against Mumbai Indians (MI). Harleen Deol had an impressive campaign, showing consistency with the bat. She started the tournament lower down the order and played crucial knocks, scoring 34* against UP Warriorz and 32 against MI during the Vadodara leg.
Later, she was promoted to the top of the order, which might have affected her form. Some poor shot selection and decision-making also led to her dismissals. However, after two failures, she made a strong comeback, looking in sublime touch while scoring 45 against UPW and an unbeaten 70 against Delhi Capitals.
Harleen finished the tournament with 232 runs in nine innings at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 120.83.
Rating: 7/10
Jemimah Rodrigues (DC)
Ultimately, it turned out to be another heartbreaking season for Delhi Capitals (DC), but for Jemimah Rodrigues, it was even more disappointing on a personal level. As the team’s vice-captain and a quality batter, much more was expected from her. However, she managed only 146 runs in eight innings, with just one fifty.
Throughout the tournament, she often seemed to be trying too hard, attempting cheeky and extravagant shots too soon after coming to the crease to be aggressive. This approach backfired and led to her struggles. In the final, Jemimah looked positive but was dismissed for 30 by Amelia Kerr. Unlike earlier in the tournament, she was playing with a straight bat instead of forcing uncharacteristic shots, which had been a major reason for her failures.
Rating: 5/10
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Harmanpreet Kaur (MI)
Mumbai Indians’ (MI) second WPL title will surely boost the confidence of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. She was under scrutiny before the tournament, but she led the team to glory in style. While MI had top global stars like Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, and Shabnim Ismail, this victory still served as a major confidence booster for her.
As a batter, Harmanpreet was outstanding, especially in the Eliminator and the final. In 10 innings, she scored 302 runs at a strike rate of 154.87, including three fifties. Notably, in MI’s last four matches—played within six days—she led from the front, scoring 176 runs, including two half-centuries and a quickfire 36 in the Eliminator. Even regarding bowling changes in most of the matches, especially the way she used Shabnim Ismail in crunch situations like the final, were the highlights.
However, concerns remain over her fitness, particularly her knee. Even in the final, she struggled in Mumbai’s humid conditions. With the ODI World Cup approaching, managing her fitness will be crucial, as a fully fit Harmanpreet will be vital for India’s chances, both as a leader and a key batter.
Rating: 9/10
Richa Ghosh (RCB)
RCB’s wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh started the tournament on a high, smashing an unbeaten 64 against the Gujarat Giants (GG) to complete the highest successful chase in WPL history. However, she struggled with the bat in the next five matches.
Although she bounced back with 105 runs in the last two games, it was not enough to turn the season around for her or her team. In eight innings, she scored 230 runs at a strike rate of 175.57, but given her role as a finisher, she was expected to deliver more.
With the gloves, she looked slightly off-colour as the tournament progressed, especially against spinners, which impacted RCB’s performance behind the stumps.
Rating: 5/10
Deepti Sharma (UPW)
In the absence of Alyssa Healy, star India all-rounder Deepti Sharma was handed the captaincy of UP Warriorz (UPW). However, she couldn’t guide the team to the playoffs, as they finished fifth with six points. As a skipper, Deepti looked like a work in progress, struggling to use her resources effectively in crucial phases of the game.
Named the Player of the Tournament in the 2024 edition, Deepti’s performances this season seemed to be affected by the added responsibility of captaincy. She managed only 122 runs in eight innings and took eight wickets at an average of 33.12 and an economy rate of 8.68.
Despite being one of India’s top bowlers in home conditions over the years, she struggled to find her rhythm, line, and length this season, failing to trouble the batters consistently.
Rating: 4/10
Renuka Singh (RCB)
Renuka Singh had a decent tournament, picking up 10 wickets in seven games at an average of 21.30 and an economy rate of 7.88. She led RCB’s bowling attack alongside Australia’s Kim Garth and played a key role with the new ball.
However, her performance in the death overs needs improvement, particularly in her outing against UP Warriorz. Despite that, she showed consistency, going wicketless in only two of her seven matches.
Rating: 6/10
Tanuja Kanwar (GG)
For the Gujarat Giants’ journey to the eliminator, Tanuja Kanwar played a role as she picked up eight wickets in nine innings at an average of 28.87 and an economy of 7.92. Throughout the tournament, spinners played a huge role in the middle overs, and Tanuja looked decent whenever Ashleigh Gardner handed her the ball. With the bat, she added also crucial 55 runs in four innings lower down the order.
Rating: 6/10
Apart from these players, Minnu Mani (DC), Priya Mishra (GG), and Titas Sadhu (DC)—all contenders for the World Cup—were a bit inconsistent with the limited opportunities they got for their respective franchises.
Also Read: Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt take Mumbai Indians to second WPL title