Like the IPL, the Purple Cap and the Orange Cap – awarded to the highest run scorer of a season – are two of the highest individual honours for players in the WPL.
West Indies ace Hayley Matthews claimed the first-ever WPL Purple Cap after picking up 16 wickets in 10 matches to lead the Mumbai Indians to the title in the inaugural season back in 2023.
Additionally, the WPL 2023 Most Valuable Player, Matthews, finished with figures of 3/5 in the final against the Delhi Capitals.
Although UP Warriorz’s Sophie Ecclestone also finished with 16 wickets, and that too in one fewer match, Matthews won the WPL 2023 Purple Cap due to having a better economy rate.
Matthews had an economy rate of 5.94 in WPL 2023 and an average of 12.62. In comparison, Ecclestone’s economy rate for the tournament was 6.62 and her average was 14.68.
As per the rules, if two or more bowlers finish with the same number of wickets, the better economy rate acts as the tie-breaker. If the economy rates are also identical, the bowler with the higher strike rate is awarded the Purple Cap.
Interestingly, the same rule would deny Matthews the Purple Cap in WPL 2025.
After both Matthews and her MI teammate Amelie Kerr finished with 18 wickets for the season, it was the Kiwi all-rounder who took the honours, courtesy of her lower economy rate of 7.75 compared to Matthews, who had 8.22.
Indian spinner Shreyanka Patil claimed the Purple Cap in WPL 2024 with 13 wickets from eight matches – a haul which was instrumental in the Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challenger Bengaluru winning the title that season.