WPL 2023: Flop playing XI from inaugural season

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) concluded on March 26, 2023, with Mumbai Indians (MI) beating Delhi capitals (DC) at the iconic Brabourne Stadium to become the first team to lift the coveted WPL trophy. Over the span of 23 days packed with T20 action, cricket buffs got to witness a great level of competition among the five WPL franchises. 

Meg Lanning, the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper, notched up 345 runs in nine matches and became the Orange Cap winner. On the other hand, Hayley Matthews who looked sensational for Mumbai Indians with both bat and ball, received the Purple Cap for clinching 16 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 5.94.

While many exploited the opportunity to exhibit their skills at the grand level while rubbing shoulders with the contemporary greats from various countries, there were players who failed to live up to the expectations and had a downhill trip throughout the tournament. Here we discuss 11 such players who had a forgettable WPL season, thus making it to our 'flop XI' of the tournament.

Here is the flop XI of WPL 2023:

1. Smriti Mandhana (Captain)

A few days ahead of the tournament, Smriti Mandhana hit headlines for becoming the most expensive player at the WPL 2023 auction. Taking cognizance of her magnificent international record, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) signed her at INR 3.4 crore to avail her services both as a top-order batter and the captain for the side in the inaugural edition of the marquee league.

The veteran kicked off her tournament with confidence against Delhi Capitals (DC), scoring 35 runs off just 23 deliveries while chasing a colossal target of 224. However, soon after, she struggled to deliver explosive starts to her team often succumbing to poor play of shots. 

Talking about overall numbers, the RCB captain scored only 149 runs in eight matches at an ordinary strike rate of 111.19. Mandhana looked underwhelming with the leadership responsibilities as well, as the 26-year-old failed to lead her team to the knockout stage, managing to gather only two wins in 8 matches.