In a thrilling fourth match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season, 24-year-old Indian pacer Nandni Sharma etched her name in history at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Representing Delhi Capitals under new skipper Jemimah Rodrigues, the uncapped talent became only the second Indian, after Deepti Sharma and the first uncapped Indian to claim a hat-trick in the tournament.
Her blistering final-over demolition of Gujarat Giants, part of a maiden 5-fer (4-0-33-5), marked the fourth consecutive WPL season with a hat-trick, following Issy Wong, Deepti Sharma, and Grace Harris in the first three editions.
Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bowl first against Gujarat Giants on January 11, 2026. Openers Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney laid the foundation with a formidable 94-run stand, as Devine unleashed carnage, scoring 95 off 42 balls with 7 boundaries and a record-equaling 8 sixes. She fell just short of becoming the first WPL centurion, dismissed in the 90s for the second time in her WPL career.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner’s gritty 49 off 26 balls propelled Gujarat Giants past 200 for the second time in as many games this season, surpassing their previous high of 207/4 against UP Warriorz on January 10. They posted 209 in 20 overs, setting a daunting target.
Enter Nandni Sharma. The young pacer struck early, providing the crucial second breakthrough by dismissing Devine in the 11th over. She then turned the game on its head in the final over, claiming four wickets, including a hat-trick by cleaning up Kanika Ahuja, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Renuka Singh Thakur, plus Kashvee Gautam. This explosive spell shifted momentum decisively toward the Delhi Capitals in her debut WPL season.
Sharma’s WPL journey began impressively against Mumbai Indians on January 10, where she returned 3-0-26-2 despite a 50-run defeat. Across two matches, she has snared 7 wickets at an average of 8.42 and economy of 8.42, surging to the top of the wicket-takers’ charts and claiming the Purple Cap.
This feat underscores Nandni Sharma’s meteoric rise, blending raw pace, precision, and composure under pressure. As WPL 4 runs from January 9 to February 5, her performance signals a breakout star for Indian women’s cricket, ready to challenge the best on the global stage, with the 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales around the corner in June–July this year.
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