Women's cricket's Shane Warne and 'World Boss': WPL players to watch

The Women's Premier League (WPL) returns on Friday, live in full on Sky Sports.

With Royal Challengers Bengaluru looking to defend their title, here are five players to watch as the franchise tournament returns to your screens.

Alana King (UP Warriorz)

Set to make her WPL debut, Australian leg-spinner King has been dubbed the Shane Warne of women's cricket following impressive stints internationally and domestically.

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After successful spells with Trent Rockets in The Hundred and Perth Scorchers in the Women's Big Bash League, King's most recent triumph came on home soil during Australia's 16-0 whitewash of England in the Ashes.

The 29-year-old took 23 wickets over the multi-format contest, matching the series record set by fellow Aussie spinner Ash Gardner in 2023.

King capped her performances with a five-for during the one-off Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, earning herself Player of the Series and a place in the history books.

Attention now turns to the UP Warriorz, where King will combine with the tournament's leading wicket-taker Sophie Ecclestone in search of the side's maiden title, having fallen at the eliminator stage during the inaugural edition in 2023.

King's role as a handy lower-order batter could also be useful for the Warriorz.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

While England's recent international run has been troublesome, opening batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge has often proved to be the glue holding Heather Knight's side together.

The 33-year-old scored 151 runs at an average of 50.33 in October's T20 World Cup before England's group-stage exit - and became the first woman from her nation to surpass 3,000 runs in the format.

Wyatt-Hodge spent last season with the Warriorz but did not feature, resulting in a trade to reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of this year's tournament for 30 lakh rupees (£27,400).

In the absence of New Zealand's Sophie Devine, who is taking a break from cricket to focus on her wellbeing, Wyatt-Hodge is likely to open with Indian star Smriti Mandhana for RCB, with the pair boasting 49 T20 international half-centuries between them.

"She is a game-changer and a phenomenal athlete," RCB captain Mandhana said of Wyatt-Hodge. "Her skills and competitive spirit align perfectly with our team's vision."

Wyatt-Hodge's familiarity with India's testing conditions could prove effective for the Challengers, who are looking to become the first WPL outfit to claim successive titles, while her status as the third most-capped player in T20 history (170) offers her a head start coming up against some of the best bowlers in women's cricket.

Akshita Maheshwari (Mumbai Indians)

Making history as the first female cricketer from Rajasthan to play in the WPL, Maheshwari could become a regular pick for 2023 champions Mumbai Indians (MI).

With all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar still sidelined due to an injury dating back to last October, seam-bowler Maheshwari is set to step in as a reliable source of wickets - with MI investing heavily in upcoming young talent ahead of the tournament's third edition.

The 24-year-old, who takes her inspiration from Indian pace duo Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, finished last season's U23 Women's One Day Trophy as the competition's second-highest wicket taker with 23.

Maheshwari is no stranger to the Mumbai atmosphere, having picked up hat-tricks there against domestic sides Mizoram and Odisha, and will now turn her attention to delivering in new-ball situations for the city's franchise team.

The youngster will be able to learn from team-mates including West Indies' Hayley Matthews and South Africa's Shabnim Ismail, and will be hoping to inspire the next generation of Rajasthan cricketers who watch her step up to one of the biggest stages.

Deandra Dottin (Gujarat Giants)

Picked up by the Gujarat Giants for over three times her base value, Dottin's addition to the WPL could rejuvenate the side after two years of disappointing results.

Having finished bottom in 2023 and 2024, the Giants have added to their ranks this year with star power including England all-rounder Danielle Gibson - but it is Dottin who could prove to be the puzzle piece they were missing given her recent performances for the West Indies and Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL.

After coming out of international retirement ahead of last year's T20 World Cup, Dottin proved crucial for a West Indies side who reached their first semi-final in six years - knocking England out of the tournament in the process.

She contributed 120 runs, boasting a strike rate of 162.16 and an average of 40 across five innings while simultaneously starring with ball in hand.

The 33-year-old is dubbed the 'World Boss' given her power-hitting ability and presence at the crease - leaving the Giants to hold off fierce competition from Warriorz for Dottin in December's auction, choosing her as their first pick.

"To be picked first, I never expected that," Dottin said.

"For my calibre and how I go about my batting, I guess that being a part of WPL is a chance to explore and showcase my talents and learn a lot from other players as well, even the younger players, and also just to give feedback and share my knowledge."

Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals)

Few opening batters have a style of play as aggressive as Shafali Verma, with the 21-year-old smashing a tournament-high 20 sixes across last season's WPL.

Verma has opened the batting with Australia great Meg Lanning for Delhi since the WPL's inception, forming a combination that smashed a tournament-high partnership of 162 against RCB in 2023.

Lanning said of her team-mate: "I love batting with Shafali. She often puts on a very entertaining show and I've got the best seat in the house watching from the other end most of the time.

"She looks like she's in really good touch, enjoying herself and having fun, which I think is really important."

Verma was dropped from the India side last November but her return to the domestic scene has been impressive - she was the top run-scorer in the Senior Women's One Day Trophy with 527 runs.

Now the power-hitter will have one eye on an overseas tour to England in July - and one eye on a WPL title after crushing back-to-back losses in the final.

Watch every match from the 2025 Women's Premier League live on Sky Sports from February 14 to March 15 or stream with NOW.