WPL 2024: 5 Players who were successful in WPL 2023 but flopped this season

WPL 2024 came to an end on the 17th of March. RCB women won the trophy for the first time in history. On the other hand, DC women suffered yet another heartbreak as they finished second for the second time in a row. While it was jubilation for RCB, the world was nightmarish for DC. The tournament turned out to be very good.

In the two editions of the WPL so far, a lot of potential have come out. The players have entertained the fans. In the latest edition, there was a good turnout which benefited the games a lot. The players have individually performed well in both the seasons. While the first edition took place in Mumbai, the second edition took place in Bengaluru and Delhi.

In the upcoming editions, the WPL is likely to be played in Gujarat, which has many stadiums, and Uttar Pradesh (Kanpur or Lucknow).  So far in the tournament, there have been many great performers. While some performed well in 2023, others performed in 2024. Only a few managed to perform in both the editions of the league. Here are the five players who did well in the WPL 2023 but failed in 2024.

Hayley Matthews

Hayley-Matthews. (Photo Source: WPL)

Coming to the WPL 2024, Hayley Matthews was in terrific form. She was brilliant both as a batter and as a bowler in the series against Australia. In the WPL 2023, she was brilliant. The star performer from the West Indies was great both as a batter and as a bowler in the title-winning campaign for MI women. She was the leading wicket-taker and won the MVP of the tournament award.

With the bat, Matthews smashed 271 runs in 10 innings at a batting average of 30.11, at a batting strike rate of 126.04, including a fifty. With the ball, she was terrific, as she claimed 16 wickets at a bowling average of 12.62, at a bowling SR of 12.7, at an economy of 5.94. However, 2024 was not good for her. She played nine matches and scored 180 runs at an average of 20. With the ball, she claimed 7 wickets at an average of 30.14.

Nat Sciver-Brunt

Nat Sciver-Brunt. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)

Much like Hayley, Nat Sciver-Brunt was very good as a performer in the inaugural edition of the WPL. The star player was good both with the bat and with the ball. The English player played ten matches in the league and scored 332 runs at a great batting average of 66.4, at a batting SR of 140.08, including three fifty-plus scores. In addition to it, Sciver was handy with her medium-pace bowling for MI.

Sciver claimed ten wickets in ten innings at a bowling average of 22.8, at a bowling SR of 19.2, and at an economy rate of 7.12. Nat also claimed four matches. In 2024, she had a totally different campaign. In nine matches, Brunt scored 172 runs at a batting average of 19.11, at a batting SR of 119.44. With the ball, she claimed ten wickets at an average of 21.5. She was not as good with the bat.

Ashleigh Gardner

Ashleigh Gardner. (Photo Source: Twitter/GujaratGiants)

Ashleigh Gardner was very good for Gujarat Giants as an All Rounder in the inaugural season. The star player finished a lot of games with the bat and claimed a lot of wickets. In eight matches in the league, the Australian scored 204 runs at a batting average of 29.14, at a batting strike rate of 141.66, including two fifty plus scores. With the ball, she claimed ten wickets in eight matches at a bowling average of 25.5, at a bowling SR of 13.6, at an economy of 7.72.

Ashleigh had a totally contrasting campaign in the WPL 2024. She was not that good both with the bat and with the ball in a season which was rather forgettable for Giants. With the bat, the right-handed batter scored 120 runs in eight innings at an average of 15, at a batting SR of 111.11. With the ball, she claimed ten wickets seven wickets in eight innings at a bowling average of 29.71, at a bowling SR of 23.0, and at an economy rate of 7.75.

Saika Ishaque

Saika Ishaque. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Saika Ishaque was the find of the league in 2023. Almost nobody knew her when she was picked by MI women in the auctions. However, Saika took everyone by surprise as she had an exceptional season as a bowler. She was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the WPL 2023 and won the Emerging Player of the Season award. In ten matches, Ishaque claimed 15 wickets at a bowling average of 16.26, at a bowling SR of 13.9, at an economy of 7.00.

However, 2024 was not a good season for Ishaque. While she did have good performances here and there, the left-arm orthodox spinner was not consistent with the ball. In nine matches for MI, Saika claimed ten wickets at a bowling average of 21, at a bowling strike rate of 16.2, at an economy of 7.96. The kind of success Ishaque had in 2023 was not replicated in 2024.

Tahlia McGrath

Tahlia McGrath. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Tahlia McGrath was probably the biggest underperformer in the WPL 2024. Her performance in the inaugural edition was brilliant. In the WPL 2024, she turned out to be equally bad. The Australian scored 302 runs in eight innings at a batting average of 50.33, at a great batting SR of 158.11, including four fifty-plus scores. With the ball, McGrath claimed two wickets and was handy as a part-timer.

In 2024, the star player had a forgettable campaign. She played four matches and scored only 27 runs at a batting average of 6.75, at a batting SR of just 79.41, which is nowhere close to her capabilities. With the ball, the right-arm pacer claimed just a wicket in three innings at a bowling average of 83, at a bowling SR of 48.0, at an economy of 10.37. After four games, McGrath was dropped from the side.