The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has quickly become one of the most exciting tournaments in women’s cricket. Since its launch in 2023, the competition has brought together international stars and Indian talent, creating memorable performances with the bat.
One of the most closely followed individual awards is the Orange Cap. It recognises the batter who scores the most runs across a WPL season, rewarding consistency, match-winning contributions and the ability to perform under pressure.
Over four completed seasons, four different players have won this award: Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Smriti Mandhana. Each winner has brought a different batting style to the competition, from Lanning’s calculated stroke play to Mandhana’s fluent attacking cricket.
This article explores WPL Orange Cap winners through the years, their season performances, the records they created and what their achievements reveal about the growth of the league.
What Is the WPL Orange Cap?
The WPL Orange Cap is awarded to the player who finishes a season as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. Batters earn their place on the leaderboard through their performances in the league stage and playoffs.
Winning this award requires more than producing one outstanding innings. Players must score runs consistently against different bowling attacks, adapt to changing match situations and maintain their form throughout the tournament.
The Orange Cap also highlights the importance of batting depth in T20 cricket. A player who regularly provides strong starts, builds partnerships or finishes innings effectively can influence a team’s chances of reaching the final.
Since the inaugural WPL season, the award has recognised four outstanding batters from three franchises: Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians.
WPL Orange Cap Winners List From 2023 to 2026
Here is the complete list of Orange Cap winners from the first four WPL seasons.
| Season | Orange Cap Winner | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Meg Lanning | Delhi Capitals | 345 |
| 2024 | Ellyse Perry | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 347 |
| 2025 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | Mumbai Indians | 523 |
| 2026 | Smriti Mandhana | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 377 |
These four seasons produced different types of batting achievements. Lanning established the early benchmark, Perry followed with a remarkably consistent campaign, Sciver-Brunt set a new single-season record, and Mandhana became the first Indian player to win the WPL Orange Cap.
2023: Meg Lanning Wins the Inaugural Orange Cap
Meg Lanning became the first Orange Cap winner in WPL history after scoring 345 runs for Delhi Capitals in the inaugural 2023 season.
As one of the most experienced batters in international cricket, Lanning brought composure and tactical awareness to the competition. Her ability to judge bowling lengths, rotate the strike and find scoring opportunities made her a dependable presence at the top of the order.
Delhi Capitals benefited from her consistent contributions throughout the tournament. Rather than relying exclusively on explosive innings, Lanning often built her scores through controlled aggression and well-timed boundaries.
Her performances helped Delhi establish themselves as a strong side during the first edition. The team reached the final, although Mumbai Indians eventually won the championship.
Lanning’s achievement was significant because it set the standard for future Orange Cap contenders. Her 345-run tally demonstrated how sustained contributions across multiple matches could outweigh the impact of a single big score.
Season highlight: Lanning finished as the league’s leading run-scorer and helped establish Delhi Capitals as one of the competition’s leading teams.
2024: Ellyse Perry Claims the Orange Cap
Ellyse Perry took the award in 2024 after scoring 347 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Her tally surpassed Lanning’s inaugural-season total by just two runs, illustrating how closely contested the race could be.
Perry’s batting combined sound technique with the ability to accelerate when the situation demanded it. She could build an innings carefully, assess the opposition’s bowling plans and increase the scoring rate without losing control.
Her performances were particularly valuable for RCB because the team needed dependable contributions during important matches. Perry’s consistency helped strengthen the batting order and gave her teammates a solid platform to build upon.
The season also brought a major team achievement. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first WPL title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final.
Perry’s Orange Cap campaign therefore became part of a memorable season for the franchise. She demonstrated that consistency and composure can be just as important as aggressive stroke play in the shortest format.
Although the difference between her total and Lanning’s previous record was small, Perry established herself as one of the WPL’s most reliable run-scorers.
Season highlight: Perry won the Orange Cap with 347 runs as RCB secured their first WPL championship.
2025: Nat Sciver-Brunt Sets a Record With 523 Runs
Nat Sciver-Brunt produced the most remarkable Orange Cap campaign of the first four WPL seasons in 2025. Representing Mumbai Indians, she scored 523 runs, becoming the first batter in the competition to cross the 500-run mark in a single season.
Her achievement stood well above the previous benchmarks set by Lanning and Perry. Sciver-Brunt combined powerful hitting with excellent shot selection, allowing her to maintain a high scoring rate while contributing substantial totals.
Her innings demonstrated the value of versatility in T20 batting. She could attack pace, handle spin and adjust her approach according to the match situation. This flexibility made her difficult for opposition captains to contain.
Sciver-Brunt also produced important performances during Mumbai Indians’ successful campaign. Her runs helped the team build competitive totals and remain dangerous during high-pressure encounters.
Mumbai Indians went on to win the 2025 WPL title, adding a championship to Sciver-Brunt’s individual achievement.
The gap between her tally and the earlier Orange Cap records was substantial. Her 523 runs exceeded Lanning’s 345 by 178 runs and Perry’s 347 by 176 runs.
This season showed how one batter could dominate an entire tournament through sustained high-level performances. It also raised the benchmark for future Orange Cap contenders.
Season highlight: Sciver-Brunt scored a record 523 runs and helped Mumbai Indians win their second WPL title.
2026: Smriti Mandhana Becomes the First Indian Orange Cap Winner
Smriti Mandhana won the Orange Cap in 2026 after scoring 377 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Her achievement marked an important milestone because she became the first Indian player to finish a WPL season as the leading run-scorer.
Known for her elegant stroke play and attacking approach, Mandhana has long been one of India’s most recognisable batters. In the 2026 WPL season, she translated those qualities into consistent performances for RCB.
Her batting combined timing, placement and controlled aggression. She frequently looked to score through the covers and off side, while her ability to find boundaries helped maintain pressure on opposing bowlers.
Mandhana’s contribution was especially important as RCB pursued another championship. The franchise won the 2026 final against Delhi Capitals, securing its second WPL title.
Her Orange Cap victory was notable for both its individual and wider significance. It showed that Indian players could lead the competition’s scoring charts against a field featuring some of the world’s leading international batters.
Mandhana also recorded the second-highest season total among the four Orange Cap winners covered here, behind Sciver-Brunt’s record of 523 runs.
Season highlight: Mandhana scored 377 runs, became the first Indian Orange Cap winner and captained RCB to their second WPL championship.
Comparing the Four WPL Orange Cap Winners
Each winner reached the top of the batting charts through a different campaign. Comparing their totals provides a useful picture of the competition’s individual batting records.
| Player | Season | Runs | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meg Lanning | 2023 | 345 | Delhi Capitals |
| Ellyse Perry | 2024 | 347 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Nat Sciver-Brunt | 2025 | 523 | Mumbai Indians |
| Smriti Mandhana | 2026 | 377 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
Sciver-Brunt’s record-breaking 2025 campaign remains the standout performance in terms of total runs. Her tally was more than 150 runs higher than Mandhana’s 2026 total.
Meanwhile, Lanning and Perry produced remarkably similar totals in the first two seasons. The difference of just two runs highlights how competitive the early Orange Cap races were.
Mandhana’s victory added another dimension to the award’s history. Her achievement expanded the list of winners beyond overseas players and underlined the growing influence of Indian batting talent in the league.
What Makes an Orange Cap-Winning Performance Special?
A high run total is the most visible measure of an Orange Cap campaign, but several factors contribute to a successful season.
1. Consistency Across Matches
A batter needs to contribute regularly rather than depend on one exceptional innings. Repeated scores give the team a stronger foundation and help the player accumulate runs over the tournament.
2. Adapting to Different Bowlers
WPL teams feature a mix of experienced international bowlers and emerging Indian talent. Orange Cap contenders must adjust their technique and scoring options against pace, swing, spin and variations.
3. Choosing the Right Level of Aggression
T20 cricket rewards attacking batting, but uncontrolled shots can quickly lead to wickets. The best run-scorers know when to rotate the strike, when to build an innings and when to accelerate.
4. Performing Under Pressure
High-pressure matches often require batters to balance individual scoring ambitions with team objectives. The ability to remain composed while chasing a target or rebuilding an innings can make a major difference.
5. Contributing to Team Success
The Orange Cap is an individual award, but strong batting can influence a team’s position in the standings and its chances in the playoffs. Three of the first four Orange Cap winners also played for the eventual champions in their respective seasons, with Lanning’s 2023 campaign being the exception.
Key Takeaways
- Meg Lanning won the inaugural WPL Orange Cap in 2023 with 345 runs for Delhi Capitals.
- Ellyse Perry scored 347 runs for RCB to win the award in 2024.
- Nat Sciver-Brunt holds the single-season record with 523 runs for Mumbai Indians in 2025.
- Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian Orange Cap winner with 377 runs in 2026.
- Four different players have won the award across the first four WPL seasons.
- Both Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the championship alongside an Orange Cap-winning batter in multiple seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who won the first WPL Orange Cap?
Meg Lanning won the inaugural WPL Orange Cap in 2023 after scoring 345 runs for Delhi Capitals.
2. Who has scored the most runs in a single WPL season?
Nat Sciver-Brunt holds the record with 523 runs for Mumbai Indians in the 2025 season.
3. Who won the WPL Orange Cap in 2026?
Smriti Mandhana won the 2026 Orange Cap after scoring 377 runs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
4. Has an Indian player won the WPL Orange Cap?
Yes, Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian player to win the WPL Orange Cap in 2026.
5. Which teams have produced WPL Orange Cap winners?
Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians have produced the Orange Cap winners from the first four WPL seasons.
The history of WPL Orange Cap winners reflects the growing quality and competitiveness of women’s T20 cricket. Meg Lanning set the original benchmark in 2023, Ellyse Perry continued the trend in 2024, Nat Sciver-Brunt raised the standard with a record-breaking 523 runs in 2025, and Smriti Mandhana made history in 2026.
Although each player brought a different style to the competition, their achievements shared one important feature: consistent batting contributions across a demanding tournament.
As the WPL continues to develop, the Orange Cap will remain an important measure of individual batting excellence. Future seasons will reveal whether another batter can challenge Sciver-Brunt’s record or establish an entirely new benchmark for run-scoring in the league.
