The Women’s Premier League has only been around since 2023, but it has already created a remarkable collection of moments that have shaped the history of women’s cricket in India. From the excitement of the inaugural season to dramatic finishes, record-breaking performances, breakthrough stars and unforgettable finals, the WPL has quickly developed an identity of its own.
Across its first four seasons, the league has provided fans with powerful batting performances, spectacular bowling spells, close finishes and historic achievements. Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have each won two championships, while Delhi Capitals have reached every final so far.
Some moments have stood out because they changed the result of a match. Others have become memorable because they represented something larger: the arrival of a new generation, the growth of professional women’s cricket or the ability of players to perform under enormous pressure.
Here are some of the most memorable moments in WPL history so far.
The Beginning of a New Era in 2023
The first WPL season was memorable before the opening match was even played. The creation of a major franchise league for women’s cricket in India represented a significant step in the professional development of the sport.
The inaugural season featured five teams: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz. The tournament immediately attracted major international and Indian names, creating a new environment in which established stars could play alongside emerging domestic players.
For many young Indian cricketers, the WPL offered an opportunity to experience high-level professional cricket alongside some of the world’s best players. The combination of international experience, franchise investment and large audiences helped establish the competition quickly.
The first season therefore became memorable not because of one particular match, but because it marked the beginning of a new chapter.
Mumbai Indians Become the First WPL Champions
The first WPL final created the league’s first championship memory.
Mumbai Indians faced Delhi Capitals at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on March 26, 2023. Delhi posted 131/9 after being put into bat, with Mumbai’s bowling attack keeping the scoring under control.
Mumbai’s chase was not completely straightforward. They slipped to 45/3 before Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt steadied the innings. Sciver-Brunt then produced an unbeaten 60 to guide Mumbai to 134/3 in 19.3 overs.
Mumbai Indians won the inaugural WPL title by seven wickets, giving Harmanpreet Kaur the distinction of captaining the competition’s first champions. Sciver-Brunt’s composed innings also became one of the earliest defining performances in WPL final history.
The image of Mumbai lifting the first trophy remains one of the foundational moments of the competition.
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Sophie Molineux’s Incredible Final Over in 2024
The 2024 final produced one of the most memorable bowling performances in the short history of the WPL.
Delhi Capitals appeared to be in control early against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They reached 64 without losing a wicket after seven overs, creating the impression that another strong total could be coming.
Then Sophie Molineux changed everything.
The RCB spinner struck three times in four deliveries, removing Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey. The sudden collapse completely changed the direction of the final.
Delhi eventually fell to 113 all out, losing ten wickets for only 49 runs. Shreyanka Patil added four wickets, while Molineux finished with 3/20.
RCB successfully chased the target, winning by eight wickets and claiming their first WPL championship. Molineux’s spell became one of the clearest examples of how quickly momentum can change in a T20 final.
RCB Finally Lift the Trophy
The 2024 championship had significance beyond the scorecard.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had entered the WPL with enormous expectations because of the popularity of the franchise’s wider sporting identity. Under Smriti Mandhana, the team eventually delivered its first WPL championship.
Mandhana scored 31 during the chase, while Ellyse Perry remained unbeaten on 35. Richa Ghosh hit the winning boundary, completing a memorable night for the franchise.
The celebrations that followed became one of the defining images of the second WPL season.
It was also important for Mandhana personally. As captain, she had guided RCB to its first women’s league title, creating one of the competition’s most recognizable captain-trophy moments.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s 66 in the 2025 Final
The 2025 final showed another side of championship cricket.
Mumbai Indians again faced Delhi Capitals, and the match developed into a much tighter contest than the first final between the teams.
Mumbai were restricted to 149/7, but Harmanpreet Kaur produced an important 66 to keep her team competitive. Her innings provided stability when Delhi’s bowlers were applying pressure.
Delhi’s chase remained alive for much of the second innings. Then Nat Sciver-Brunt delivered another important final performance, taking 3/30 as Mumbai defended their total.
Delhi finished on 141/9, leaving Mumbai Indians eight runs short of victory.
The result gave Mumbai their second WPL championship and Harmanpreet another title as captain. It also established the Mumbai-Delhi final rivalry as one of the recurring storylines of the competition.
The Rise of Nat Sciver-Brunt as a WPL Superstar
Across the early years of the league, Nat Sciver-Brunt has repeatedly produced important performances.
Her unbeaten 60 in the inaugural final immediately placed her among the tournament’s most influential players. Her contribution continued through later seasons, combining batting consistency with effective bowling.
The 2025 season was particularly significant. Sciver-Brunt produced a large number of runs and wickets throughout the campaign and played another decisive role in Mumbai’s championship victory.
Her performances demonstrate one of the central attractions of the WPL: world-class international players are not simply participating in the competition; many have become central figures in its biggest moments.
RCB’s Record-Breaking 2025 Chase
Although RCB did not retain the 2025 championship, the team produced one of the most spectacular run chases in WPL history during the season opener.
Gujarat Giants scored 201/5, powered by Ashleigh Gardner’s explosive 79 from 37 balls and Beth Mooney’s 56.
RCB then produced an extraordinary response.
Ellyse Perry scored 57, while Richa Ghosh smashed an unbeaten 64 from only 27 balls. Kanika Ahuja contributed 30 from 13 deliveries, and the pair added an unbeaten 93-run partnership from just 37 balls.
RCB reached 202/4 in 18.3 overs, completing the first successful chase of a target above 200 in WPL history at that point.
The match demonstrated just how quickly the league’s batting standards were developing.
The Dramatic Start to WPL 2026
The opening match of the 2026 season produced another unforgettable contest between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Mumbai scored 154, setting RCB a challenging target. RCB’s chase appeared to be in serious trouble when they slipped to 75/5.
Then Nadine de Klerk took control.
Making her RCB debut, the South African all-rounder first made an impact with the ball, taking 4/26. She then produced an unbeaten 63 from 44 deliveries during the chase.
The final over was particularly dramatic. With RCB needing 18 from six balls, de Klerk responded to two dot balls by hitting a six and a four before finishing the match with another six and four.
RCB won by three wickets on the final ball, giving the 2026 season an immediate classic. The official WPL report described it as a last-ball thriller and highlighted de Klerk’s decisive all-round performance.
Harmanpreet’s Powerful Chase Against Gujarat
Harmanpreet Kaur created another memorable moment during the 2026 season when Mumbai Indians successfully chased 193 against Gujarat Giants.
Gujarat posted 192/5, but Harmanpreet responded with an unbeaten 71 from 43 balls.
The Mumbai captain reached her second consecutive fifty of the season and then guided the chase to completion with four balls remaining.
The performance was significant because it showed Harmanpreet’s ability to control a large run chase rather than simply contribute a supporting innings. It was also her tenth fifty-plus score in WPL history at that stage, the most by any player in the tournament.
RCB’s Dominant Run to the 2026 Final
Another major storyline of 2026 was RCB’s remarkable league-stage campaign.
The team produced a six-match winning streak and eventually finished at the top of the table, earning a direct place in the final.
Their victory over UP Warriorz in Match 18 was particularly impressive. RCB chased 144 in only 13.1 overs after Grace Harris smashed 75 from 37 balls and shared a 108-run opening partnership with Mandhana.
Mandhana then completed her fifty from just 26 deliveries and hit the winning boundary.
The result sent RCB directly into the final and established them as the first team in WPL history to finish the league stage with such a dominant run while securing the direct final qualification.
Delhi Capitals Reach Four Straight Finals
One of the most remarkable stories in WPL history has been Delhi Capitals’ consistency.
Delhi reached the final in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Although they did not win the championship during those four seasons, their repeated appearances have made them one of the competition’s defining teams.
Their 2026 playoff run added another chapter. Delhi defeated Gujarat Giants by seven wickets in the Eliminator after successfully chasing 169 with 26 balls remaining.
Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee provided an explosive opening partnership of 89, while Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt completed the chase.
Reaching four consecutive finals is now an important part of Delhi’s WPL story.
The 2026 Final and the Record Chase
The 2026 final produced arguably the most explosive championship match in WPL history.
Delhi Capitals scored 203/4 after batting first. Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt and Chinelle Henry helped Delhi establish a huge total.
RCB’s response was extraordinary.
Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll completely changed the match with a massive second-wicket partnership. Mandhana scored 87 from 41 balls, while Voll contributed 79 from 54.
Their 165-run partnership became the highest partnership in WPL history.
RCB eventually reached 204/4 in 19.4 overs, completing a six-wicket victory. The chase became the highest successful chase in WPL history and gave RCB their second championship.
Mandhana’s innings also became one of the signature performances of the competition’s first four seasons.
The Emergence of Indian Young Talent
Not every memorable WPL moment has come from a final.
One of the league’s broader achievements has been its ability to give young Indian players opportunities against elite international opposition.
Players have been able to learn from experienced teammates, face high-quality bowling, develop under professional coaching environments and play in front of large audiences.
The WPL has therefore created memorable moments that extend beyond individual statistics. A young player making an important contribution, a domestic bowler dismissing an established international star or an emerging batter finishing a difficult chase can be just as meaningful as a championship-winning performance.
Why the WPL’s Early History Is Already Memorable
The WPL is still a young competition, but its first four seasons have produced a surprisingly rich history.
Mumbai Indians became the inaugural champions in 2023. RCB responded with their maiden title in 2024. Mumbai returned to the top in 2025, while RCB won again in 2026.
Alongside those championships came extraordinary individual performances, dramatic collapses, record-breaking chases and the continued rise of players such as Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Ellyse Perry and many others.
The most memorable moments have also shown how quickly women’s franchise cricket can evolve. Scores that once looked enormous have been chased, young players have become major contributors and tactical approaches have continued to develop from season to season.
Looking Ahead to the Next Chapter
The first four WPL seasons have established a foundation filled with historic matches and memorable performances. Future seasons will inevitably add new champions, new rivalries, new records and new stars.
What makes the league particularly interesting is that its history is still being written. The moments that fans remember today—from the inaugural Mumbai championship to RCB’s record chase in 2026—are only the beginning.
The WPL has already demonstrated that a short-format women’s cricket league can produce the same combination of drama, personalities, competition and unforgettable sporting occasions that audiences associate with major professional tournaments.
As the league continues to grow, its early memories will remain important because they explain how the WPL developed from a new competition into one of the most prominent stages in women’s franchise cricket.
