Finishing is one of the toughest roles in the sport of cricket. The middle-order batters often are relied upon to finish the team’s innings on a high.
They are expected to hit a flurry of boundaries right during the death overs of the innings. It is a task that only a few can master and can do it with amazing consistency as well.
During the recently-concluded Women’s Premier League 2024, the fans were treated with some exhilarating knocks during the end of the innings. These players performed at a consistent basis throughout the tournament and made sure that the team got the perfect end to their innings. Let’s take a look at some of the best finishers of this season of the Women’s Premier League.
Here are the top five finishers of this season:
5. Sajeevan Sajana
Sajeevan-Sajana. (Photo Source: Twitter/MI)
The youngster was part of the Mumbai Indians franchise for the second edition of the Women’s Premier League. She burst onto the stage with a match-winning six for the side in the opening game against Delhi Capitals at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. The newbie seemed to be the perfect finisher for the franchise and a player who would be alongside the side for the longest time as possible.
One of her best knocks came against the Royal Challengers Bangalore as she scored 30 runs in quick-fire time. Her strike rate of 158.18 indicates the ability with which she batted right throughout the tournament. If she can be consistent with her batting ability, the youngster can be one of the best in the business not only for Mumbai Indians but also for Team India in the future.
4. Grace Harris
Grace-Harris. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The name is enough to suggest the kind of batting ability that Grace Harris brings to the side. She is renowned for being a six-hitting machine and often bats in the middle order with extreme composure. The Australian is known to play according to the situation but when she is given the license to kill, she can be a ruthless attacker with absolutely no mercy for the bowlers at all.
In the recently concluded season of the Women’s Premier League, she was able to continue her finishing abilities for the UP Warriorz. Even though her strike rate might have dipped, she continued to attack the bowlers consistently. Her knock against Gujarat Giants is amongst the top knocks of the season. She would be with the UP Warriorz again next season without a shadow of a doubt and would be looking to continue her attacking prowess.
3. Georgia Wareham
Georgia Wareham. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The signing of Georgia Wareham by the Royal Challengers Bangalore was a great tactical choice by the team management. The Gujarat Giants picked the Australian in the inaugural edition of the tournament but could only manage to play two games for the franchise throughout the season. She was later released by the franchise which was a blessing in disguise for her as the Royal Challengers Bangalore snapped her.
Wareham was clinical with her batting throughout the tournament as she batted with confidence. Her strike rate of 164 is enough to suggest her role in the batting order of the season two winners. The all-rounder’s powerful knocks during the death overs of the team’s innings were crucial in most matches. She proved to be the devastating finisher alongside Ellyse Perry that the Royal Challengers Bangalore desired.
2. Deepti Sharma
Deepti-Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The Indian all-rounder had a stunning tournament with some of the best performances coming in the second half of the tournament. She was purchased by the UP-Warriorz Women for a whopping INR 2.6 crores. But she was worth every penny as she contributed well with both her batting and bowling.
Despite a poor showing with the bat in the maiden edition of the Women’s Premier League, she came into the second edition brimming with confidence. This confidence is reflected in her powerful knocks to bail her side out on most occasions. Deepti Sharma managed to score 295 runs in this season and it came at a great strike rate of 137. The Indian all-rounder was the perfect choice for the finishing slot in the team.
1. Ellyse Perry
Ellyse-Perry. (Photo Source: Twitter)
The Australian all-rounder is currently amongst the best all-rounders of the game. She was signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a staggering INR 1.70 Crores. The 2020 T20 World Cup winner had a mediocre season during the maiden edition of the Women’s Premier League but was still performing for the side with both bat and ball.
Ellyse Perry was coming into the tournament with good form and she kept it up with great performances against some of the best players. Her amazing 66-run knock against Mumbai Indians showed her amazing power-hitting abilities. She had been smashing sixes for fun throughout the competition and was essential for the side in chasing down tricky totals or during high-scoring run-chases.