Foreign Women Cricketers Stealing Indian Hearts

(Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry in Saree)

In the ever-evolving world of Women's cricket, the cricketers not only create a fanbase in their own country but are also able to extend it beyond the boundaries. There are numerous female cricketers who have left a mark among Indian cricket enthusiasts, and they are loved by fans to date. This is not just the result of their prowess in the match but also their sheer dedication and morals, which they have known for a long time. Some of them have broken records, while others showed incredible performances to have a space in the hearts of the Indian fans. Their sportsmanship and their stories of reaching international levels have been memorable for fans. With this being said, let's have a look at some foreign female cricketers, who are loved by Indian cricket fans.

1. Issy Wong

The English Fast-paced bowler, Issy Wong is also popular among Indian cricket fans. She plays for Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League and has played a few matches for England's national cricket team. When she played her first WPL 2024 season match against UP Warriorz Women, Issy Wong took 2 wickets while conceding 30 runs and also scored 15 runs, playing an important role for the Mumbai Indians Women's team. She was also a part of the England A team against India A during the year 2023, where she took 4 wickets and scored 65 runs in 3 matches, being Man of the Match in two of them.

(Issy Wong in the England’s training kit)

In her WPL career, Issy Wong has played 12 matches and secured an impressive total of 18 wickets, illustrating her dominance with the bowl. Her remarkable bowling performances also played a crucial role for Mumbai Indians Women to win the inaugural WPL season. Although Issy Wong has yet to play more international matches, her improving performances show that the fans could expect her to be on the team soon. During the year 2022, Issy Wong made her debut in the Women's ODI format against South Africa, where she was able to take 3 wickets in her debut game.

2. Ellyse Perry

Ellyse Perry, also known as the female cricketer who has won almost every possible title, is loved a lot by Indian cricket fans. She has been a part of the Australia Women's team that won two World Cups, six T20 World Cups, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where they won the Gold. The Indian fans knew Perry for her passion and prowess towards the game, but when she stepped into the Women's Premier League, Ellyse Perry was able to perform well and grab a place in the hearts of Indian cricket fans.

(Ellyse Perry after her five-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians Women.)

In the second season of WPL, Ellyse Perry was playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore Women. The team had their decider match against Mumbai Indians, which could help them qualify, as Ellyse Perry dominated the game. Perry took 6 wickets while conceding 15 runs in four overs and also scored a half-century to allow RCB Women to win and reach the playoffs. Later in the Eliminator match also, Perry dominated against Mumbai Indians Women allowing RCB Women to reach the finals and defeat Delhi Capitals Women to win the title.

3. Chamari Athapaththu

The current captain of the Sri Lanka Women's T20I team, Chamari Athapaththu, also has an Indian fanbase for her aggressive batting style in the shorter format of the game. During the year 2017, Chamari became the Women's Cricketer of the Year due to her impressive all-around performance across the ODI and T20I formats. Athapaththu has been the record maker in the Sri Lanka Women's cricket team, as she is the only cricketer in the team who has scored a century in the ODI format.

(Athapaththu batting for Sri Lanka against New Zealand)

Along with that, Chamari Athapaththu was also the first Sri Lanka Women's cricketer to play in the Women's Big Bash League. She made her debut in the Women's Premier League during the 2024 season and played four matches throughout the tournament, taking 3 wickets and scoring 28 runs for the team. She also holds the highest individual score for Sri Lanka in the Women's ODI format when batting at number three, with a score of 178.

4. Beth Mooney

The Australian wicket-keeper, Beth Mooney, has been an aggressive batter across all the formats of the game. She impressed the Indian fans during the Women's Premier League, where Gujarat Giants bought her in the initial season for 2 crores and was eventually named as the captain of the team. Mooney didn't play a few matches after being injured in the match against Mumbai Indians. But her comeback is still memorable for all the Indian fans, as Gujarat Giants posted the highest total in WPL history, 199/5, against Royal Challengers Bangalore Women.

(Beth Mooney celebrating her half-century)

In her WPL career, Beth Mooney has played 9 matches till now and scored 285 runs with three half-centuries. Her consistent performances for Gujarat Giants have played a major role in the team's performance in the tournament. Mooney showed some incredible performances in the year 2016-17, which helped her to be a part of the Australia Women's team in the 2017 World Cup, which was played in England.

5. Sophie Ecclestone

The slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Sophie Ecclestone, has been dominant with her bowling skills across the T20 format. She has been on the top of the ICC Women's T20 Bowling standings since the year 2020, which shows her impressive performance in the shorter format of the game. Playing for the UP Warriorz Women in the Women's Premier League, Sophie Ecclestone left no chance to impress the Indian fans with her unwavering dedication to the game. Taking 27 wickets across 17 matches in the WPL, Sophie Ecclestone has been able to make it to the list of the highest wicket-takers in the history of the tournament.

(Ecclestone celebrating after taking a wicket against RCB Women)

Ecclestone was also a part of the England Women's team in the 2022 Women's World Cup which was played in New Zealand. She dominated with her bowling skills, taking 21 wickets throughout the tournament which included three consecutive three-wicket hauls. Unfortunately, Sophie Ecclestone fell two wickets short of the all-time record of the Women's ODI World Cup.

6. Sophie Molineux

Another Australian all-rounder, Sophie Molineux has also been popular among Indian cricket fans for her appearance in the recent Women's Premier League edition, where she played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore Women and also helped the team in winning the title. Molineux scored 78 runs and took 12 wickets in 10 games, at a bowling average of 23.16 runs per wicket.

(Molineux celebrating after taking 3 wickets in 4 balls against DC Women in WPL finals)

In the year 2018, Sophie Molineux was able to make her debut for the Australia Women's team across the limited overs format. Molineux was able to perform well in the series against New Zealand and Pakistan, which helped her to be a part of the Australia Women's team in the 2018 Women’s World Cup. Australia Women went against New Zealand Women in a crucial group stage match, which was a decider for their qualification.

7. Danni Wyatt

England's batting all-rounder, Danni Wyatt has made her impression among the Indian cricket fans ever since her International debut against India in the year 2010, which was played in Mumbai. Being an aggressive batter in the shorter format of the game, Danni Wyatt also holds the second-highest individual score in the Women's T20I format, by scoring 124 runs in an innings. The Indian cricket fans have been waiting for Danni Wyatt to play in the Women's Premier League and it is expected that she might be a part of the tournament in the next season.

(Danni Wyatt batting against New Zealand in the 2021 series)

Danni Wyatt also played in the England tour of New Zealand during the year 2021, where she played an important role in helping the team win the Women's T20I series by 3-0, and the Women's ODI series by 2-1. Wyatt has been a part of the UP Warriorz Women's team in the Women's Premier League but has not yet played any match in the two seasons.