WPL 2023: Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals match (Updated)

The second match of the inaugural Women's Premier League 2023 (WPL 2023) took place between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Brabourne Stadium on March 5, 2023. The clash marked the first afternoon affair of the tournament, which is scheduled to last until March 26.

Smriti Mandhana won the toss for RCB and elected to bowl first. The DC opening pair of skipper Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma tore into the opposition bowling outfit. The duo brought up the 50-run partnership in the sixth over and finished with 57 runs in the powerplay.

The pair dealt with boundaries post the fielding restrictions as well to keep the momentum going. The 100-run mark was brought up in the 10th over as RCB struggled to get any sort of control with the ball, with the DC batters cruising by. Unfortunately, for Mandhana and Co., the carnage continued, with the 150 partnership being compiled in the 14th over of the innings.

DC ended with 223-2 on the board, surpassing the tally set by MI in the opening contest to end with the highest-ever score in the WPL.

RCB began the chase on a brisk note but were pegged back by Alice Capsey's double strike. Mandhana was unable to capitalize on her start while Sophie Devine had to depart after a sharp catch by Shafali Verma. Tara Norris claimed a five-for as RCB never recovered in their run chase and slumped to a 60-run defeat to hand DC a winning start in the competition.

WPL 2023 Orange Cap list updated

Shafali Verma became the second batter in WPL history to score a half-century. She continued in Harmapreet Kaur's footsteps by bringing up the landmark figure off 31 deliveries.

She went past her national team skipper to occupy the top spot on the Orange Cap List. The opening batter ultimately ended up with 84 runs off 45 deliveries. Her knock comprised 10 fours and four sixes.

Soon after, Meg Lanning became the first overseas batter to reach the fifty-run mark and went past Hayley Matthews on the Orange Cap list. She also overtook Harmanpreet Kaur's 65-run mark to occupy the second spot in the rankings, by notching a captain's innings of 72 runs off 43 deliveries.

Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry entered the top 10 with promising knocks. Both players stormed into their thirties, but could not make the most of their imperious start and lost their wickets at untimely intervals.

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WPL 2023 Purple Cap list updated

The majority of RCB bowlers had a forgettable shift in the searing heat, but England skipper Heather Knight was able to have a say in the form of two wickets. She dismissed set batters Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma in the same over and finished with figures of 2-40 off three overs. She is now seventh on the list.

England international Alice Capsey struck across her first two overs to get rid of both opening batters. Her double-whammy left RCB in a tricky position at 56-2 in the seventh over. The spinner's figures of 2-10 put her in third position.

Tara Norris scripted history by becoming the first player from an associate nation to take a wicket in the WPL. She struck twice in her very first over to remove Ellyse Perry and Disha Kasat and followed it up with the wickets of Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja to make it four wickets in seven deliveries.

She then claimed a wicket off her penultimate delivery as well to become the first bowler in WPL history to claim a five-wicket haul and seize the top spot in the Purple Cap list as well. She finished with impressive figures of 5-29 to light up the second innings.

Who will win the Orange Cap and Purple Cap in the inaugural WPL? Let us know what you think.

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