In a post-match press conference brimming with raw emotion and youthful fire, 24-year-old pacer Nandni Sharma, playing her debut WPL season, stole the spotlight after Delhi Capitals’ agonising 4-run loss to Gujarat Giants in WPL Match 4 on January 11, 2026, at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.
The Chandigarh speedster’s maiden 5-wicket haul (4-0-33-5), including a stunning final-over hat-trick, dismissing Kanika Ahuja, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Renuka Singh Thakur, nearly turned the tide in a high-scoring thriller that saw 400+ runs aggregate for the second time in three days. Despite Sophie Devine’s all-round masterclass (95 off 42, 3-0-21-2), sealing a heist for the Giants’ second win, Sharma’s heroics and candid insights offered a beacon of hope for Indian women’s pace bowling.
Sharma’s day epitomized breakthrough under pressure. Trusted by skipper Jemimah Rodrigues to bowl the death over after Delhi opted to field, the uncapped talent became only the second Indian after Deepti Sharma, and the first uncapped player, to claim a WPL hat-trick, joining Issy Wong and Grace Harris in elite company. She had already snared Sophie Devine in the 11th over, halting the White Ferns veteran’s brutal 95 (42 balls, 7 fours, 8 sixes), which featured a WPL-record 32 runs off Sneh Rana in the powerplay’s final over.
Gujarat’s record 209 all-out owed much to Sharma’s brakes, even as Delhi’s chase faltered at 205/5, Lizelle Lee’s maiden WPL fifty (86 off 54, SR 195.26) and Laura Wolvaardt’s clutch 77 (38) falling just short against Devine’s final-over defence of 7.
Reflecting on that pivotal death over, Sharma credited her captain’s calm guidance and team backing. “They told me to bowl my stock ball and my variation. I have to do my best. They were telling me what to do ball by ball, which helped me a lot,” she revealed, underscoring the faith from Rodrigues and mentors like Marizanne Kapp.
The South African legend, she noted, shared pitch insights via Shafali Verma from match one, while coach Jonathan Batty and the staff promised unwavering support. “She is a legend. The whole staff makes me feel so comfortable. I was told from the beginning that they will back me no matter what happens, they will back me.”
Sharma’s journey to WPL stardom, forged in adversity, resonated deeply. Starting at age 8, inspired by her cricketer brother, she quit briefly when academies overlooked her youth but returned with grit. Practising with boys honed her speed and variations post-lockdown, evolving from bouncers to in-swing under family guidance. Smriti Mandhana’s Instagram praise left her starstruck: “My dream has come true. I hope I get to retain the Purple Cap in the next match too.”
Her action developed naturally, mimicking a senior at the academy, while learning from international stars taught adaptability: “There are many international players here. I want to bowl to them. Sometimes they hit so well, even on a good ball. I learned that I have to bowl according to the batsman.”
Even a boundary conceded in the death didn’t faze her; she rallied the fielders, turning pressure into wickets. Aspirations for India loomed large: “That’s such a difficult question. I hope all the selectors are watching.” Closing with inspiration for India’s young pacers, Sharma delivered a rallying cry. “Don’t give up. There will be a time when everything will go wrong. Just don’t ever give up in life.”
Nandni Sharma’s debut season sparkles amid Delhi’s winless start, hinting at a bright future for the Indian pace attack in women’s cricket. She is currently the purple cap holder of the ongoing 4th edition of the tournament. Nandni Sharma’s hat-trick (11th January 2026) marks a hat-trick in each of the 4 seasons of the WPL so far.
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