The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season concluded on February 5 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifting their second trophy. While the batters provided the fireworks, it was the bowlers who consistently turned matches with clinical spells and record-breaking breakthroughs.
The race for the Purple Cap—awarded to the tournament’s leading wicket-taker—went down to the final days, ultimately being decided by the narrowest of margins in economy rates.
WPL 2026 Purple Cap: Final Top 5 Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Economy |
| 1 | Sophie Devine | Gujarat Giants | 9 | 17 | 4/37 | 8.28 |
| 2 | Nandni Sharma | Delhi Capitals | 10 | 17 | 5/33 | 8.32 |
| 3 | Nadine de Klerk | RCB | 9 | 16 | 4/22 | 7.84 |
| 4 | Amelia Kerr | Mumbai Indians | 7 | 14 | 3/24 | 7.50 |
| 5 | N Sree Charani | Delhi Capitals | 10 | 14 | 4/31 | 8.31 |
Purple Cap Standings Explained
The Purple Cap rules state that if two bowlers finish with the same number of wickets, the award is given to the player with the better economy rate.
- The Tie-Breaker: Both Sophie Devine and Nandni Sharma finished with 17 wickets. However, Devine’s economy of 8.28 was slightly superior to Sharma’s 8.32, earning the New Zealander the official Purple Cap and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
- The Emerging Star: Despite finishing second, Nandni Sharma made history as the first uncapped player to take a WPL hat-trick. Her 17-wicket haul is the highest ever by an Indian bowler in a single WPL edition, earning her the Emerging Player of the Season award.
- Efficiency Leaders: Amelia Kerr and Nadine de Klerk proved to be the most efficient strikers, both maintaining economies below 8.00 while striking once every two overs on average.
Bowling Impact: Standout Moments
- Sophie Devine (GG): Beyond the wickets, she was the “all-phase” weapon, often bowling the difficult death overs while contributing 243 runs with the bat.
- Shreyanka Patil (RCB): While not in the top five this year (finishing with 11 wickets), the 2024 Purple Cap winner produced the best individual spell of the season: 5/23.
- Lauren Bell (RCB): Although she finished with 12 wickets, she was the most “economical” regular bowler of the season, maintaining a stunning economy rate of 5.53.
