One player from each WPL 2025 team who could define their chances of winning the tournament ft. Jemimah Rodrigues 

The third edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is slated to get underway on Friday, February 14. There is a buzz among the fans and the players on what promises to be a fascinating tournament with several talented players participating.

The five-team tournament has garnered a lot of interest, especially after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifted their maiden trophy in 2024 under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana. The defending champions will be raring to go and try every possible thing to retain the trophy.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals are two of the strongest teams in the competition and it was evident from their performances, especially in the first season. While MI won the inaugural edition in 2023, the Capitals finished as the runners-up. Both teams have a well-oiled unit and will look to do well in the third edition.

The Gujarat Giants and the UP Warriorz are the two teams that haven't come into the limelight too much but have players in their ranks who can turn it around for the franchise. With the WPL just a couple of years old, it will take some time for them to form their fanbase. However, a title win can change everything in the third edition of the tournament.

With the WPL set to commence on February 14, here is one player from each team who could define their chances of winning the tournament:

One player from each WPL 2025 team who could define their chances of winning the tournament

#5 Gujarat Giants- Deandra Dottin

Deandra Dottin flexing her muscles during the WBBL. Source: Getty

You can't look beyond a player of Deandra Dottin’s class due to her exceptional all-round abilities. The Gujarat Giants are lucky to have acquired her services and will look to center their campaign around her.

One of the most powerful strikers of the ball, West Indies player Dottin can clear any boundary in the world and make top-quality bowlers look clueless. She can be flexible in the batting order depending upon the situation of the game.

Besides her batting prowess, Dottin is a genuine quick bowler who can open the bowling, bowl in the middle overs, and also has a good set of yorkers and slower deliveries to back it up in the death overs. Dottin has to play a crucial role for the Gujarat Giants if they have to win the competition.

#4 UP Warriorz- Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma is a premier all-rounder for India and the UP Warriorz.- Source: Getty

One of the finest off-spinners in world cricket, Deepti Sharma has been a consistent performer for India for a long time. She is a multi-dimensional player who can bowl in any phase of the game and is a consistent wicket-taker.

She lures the opposition batters to play false shots with her guile and deception and will need to be at her best if the UP Warriorz are to make an impact in the third edition of the WPL. She has picked 19 wickets in 17 WPL matches at an average of 27.68.

Her economy rate has been slightly on the higher side (8.11) but she has compensated for that with her batting skills. Deepti can bat in the top and the middle order and can also play the role of a finisher. She has scored 385 runs in the WPL at an average of 38.50 and a strike rate of 118.82.

#3 Delhi Capitals- Jemimah Rodrigues

One of the most improved players in the Indian women’s circuit is none other than Jemimah Rodrigues. Ever since her successful stint in The Hundred and the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), Jemimah has taken her game to a whole new level and it has reflected on how her team has performed in the recent past.

Jemimah, who was more of a grinder and loved building innings, has now shifted to a different gear where she starts attacking the opposition bowlers right from the outset. She has found new ways of putting the bowlers under pressure and will be pivotal in Delhi Capitals’ chances in WPL3.

She is someone who plays to the situation of the game perfectly. She might not be aesthetically pleasing like a Smriti Mandhana or brutal like Shafali Verma but she goes about her business in an unfazed manner. Jemimah has scored 361 runs in 18 WPL games at a staggering strike rate of 143.82.

#2 Royal Challengers Bengaluru- Renuka Singh Thakur

Renuka Singh Thakur celebrates picking a wicket for India. Source: Getty

There was a temptation to include Smriti Mandhana in the list because of her sheer dominance recently, but it's the bowlers who win you tournaments. For RCB to have any chance of defending their title, medium pacer Renuka Singh Thakur has to produce her magic with the new ball.

She is one of the finest swing bowlers in women's cricket and can demolish any top-quality batting line-up on her day. Her booming inswingers have made opposition batters, including the mighty Aussies, look clueless.

With a few injury concerns in the squad, RCB would hope that Renuka puts her hand up from the first day and produces an inspiring performance. She tends to lose her sheen as the ball gets old which might tempt Mandhana to bowl her out in the first half of the game. That also gives an opportunity to Renuka to pick more wickets.

#1 Mumbai Indians- Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews smashes a big shot during the previous WPL. Source: Getty

Hayley Matthews is an out-and-out match winner and it's tough to look beyond her as the X-factor player in the Mumbai Indians squad. There are players like Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt who are match-winners on their day.

However, Matthews with her skill set is expected to play the most pivotal role if the Mumbai Indians are to reclaim their WPL title. A powerful striker of the ball, Matthews of the West Indies can win matches single-handedly for her side with both bat and ball.

She opens the batting and has done so several times for the Mumbai Indians. She is a destructive batter and a consistent wicket-taker for any team she plays for. Matthews has scored 451 runs in 19 WPL matches and has also bagged 23 crucial wickets.