The competition in the 3rd edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is getting spicier and the battle for securing a spot in the play-offs heats up. The Delhi Capitals led by skipper Meg Lanning were up against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 14th match of the tournament and the last league game in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, where they secured their playoff spot.
The Capitals sealed the game with another dominant 9-wicket win to keep the Smriti Mandhana-led side winless for the 3rd consecutive time in their home stretch this season. There was another 20-year-old debutant in the Delhi Capitals camp, the left-arm spinner from Andhra Pradesh, Nallapureddy Shree Charani.
Charani was roped in by Delhi Capitals in the 2025 mini auction at 55 Lakhs. She wasted no time in making a strong impression on her WPL debut as she returned with impressive match figures of 4-0-28-2 in her debut outing. She went on to pick up two big scalps of Raghvi Bist and the wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh in her spell, which turned the game’s momentum.
With a dominant win, they not only topped the table but also became the first team to qualify to the knockouts of WPL 2025. One of the most beautiful things about a tournament like that is the fact that the youngsters and the domestic talent get the opportunity to share the dressing room with legends of the game and learn the tricks of the trade to be successful in a tournament like the WPL and make a mark for themselves at the international level.
We witnessed one such heartwarming moment after the game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals, where veteran batter Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, representing RCB in WPL 2025, initiated a candid chat with 20-year-old debutant Nallapureddy Shree Charani. Wyatt-Hodge, impressed by the maturity Charani displayed in her match-defining spell, asked her age, acknowledging the poise and skill she showed on the field.
Having already witnessed Charani’s bowling brilliance, Wyatt-Hodge further inquired if she also batted. Delhi’s assistant coach Lisa Keightley playfully interjected, saying, “She’s a six-hitter,” hinting at Charani’s all-round potential which is yet to come to the forefront in the WPL.
Wyatt-Hodge also introduced Charani to her English teammate, Charlie Dean, also an off-spinner and part of the RCB squad. Joining the lighthearted conversation was Delhi Capitals all-rounder Alice Capsey, as the group shared laughter, encouragement, and admiration.
For the young talent from Andhra Pradesh, this moment of recognition and appreciation from international stars will undoubtedly remain etched in her memory as a cherished milestone in her budding career.
(Quotes sourced from video posted by Delhi Capitals on X)
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