Delhi Capitals (DC) pace bowler Nandni Sharma rose to fame by claiming a hat-trick against Gujarat Giants (GG) in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026.
The 24-year-old was acquired by her franchise worth INR 20 lakh during the auction. She rose to fame as the first-ever Indian pacer to achieve a hat-trick in WPL history.
Having played her second game of the league, Nandni became the fourth cricketer in the WPL to achieve this remarkable feat.
Despite the young pacer’s 5-wicket haul, Delhi narrowly lost to Gujarat, falling short by just 4 runs in a 210-run chase at the DY Patil Sports Academy.
A Brief Introduction: Who is Nandni Sharma?
Hailing from Chandigarh, Nandni Sharma established her worth as a consistent performer and an explosive pacer in domestic cricket.
Born on September 20, 2001, she went on to represent Chandigarh in domestic T20 tournaments and impressed with her top-notch bowling skills in inter-zonal contests playing for North Zone Women.
Nandni’s ability to bowl bouncy deliveries at a greater speed with perfect movement on ineffective pitches makes her the most favorite bowler for all franchises.
Bowlers to Take Hat-Trick in WPL History ft. Nandni Sharma
Starting from the WPL’s inauguration in 2023, every season witnessed a bowler claiming a hat-trick, with Nandni Sharma becoming the latest entrant to the list in the ongoing fourth edition of the league:
- Issy Wong vs UP Warriorz in WPL 2023.
- Deepti Sharma vs Delhi Capitals in WPL 2024.
- Grace Harris vs Delhi Capitals in WPL 2025.
- Nandni Sharma vs Gujarat Giants in WPL 2026.
Notably, Nandni became the first player in WPL history to claim a 5-wicket haul and hat-trick in the same inning.
Nandni Sharma 5-Wicket Haul vs Gujarat Giants
After opting to bowl first, the Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack, spearheaded by Nandni Sharma’s 5-fer, failed to restrict the Gujarat Giants below 200.
The right-arm medium pacer achieved her WPL career best bowling figures of 5/33 in 4 overs. It included the crucial dismissals of Sophie Devine (95 runs), Kashvee Gautam (14 runs), Kanika Ahuja (4 runs), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Renuka Singh Thakur (both dismissed for a duck).
Devine’s 95-run knock off 42 balls (including 7 fours and 8 sixes) at a strike rate of 226.19 propelled Gujarat’s total to 209 in 20 overs. Her last over conceded only 5 runs under pressure, safely guided her team to a thrilling 4-run win.
Ashleigh Gardner’s 49 runs off 26 balls (including 4 fours and 3 sixes) added support to Sophie’s blistering performance.
Unfortunately, Nandni’s maiden WPL hat trick ended up in a losing cause for the Delhi Capitals as the entire team narrowly succumbed to their second consecutive defeat this season.
Nandni’s Historic Death Over Spell: A Sensational Hat-Trick
The 20th over of the Gujarat Giants’ innings dealt with a dramatic batting line-up collapse after Nandni unleashed her lethal performance in the death overs.
After conceding a single run in the first ball of the 20th over, Nandni’s maiden WPL hat-trick halted the Giants from cruising towards a mammoth total. She claimed four wickets in the same over.
Here is a short recap of the young pacer’s fiery performance in the final over of the inning:
- 1st ball: Conceded a single run to Kanika Ahuja.
- 2nd ball: Chinelle Henry’s catch at long-on dismissed Kashvee Gautam.
- 3rd ball: Single run conceded toTanuja Kanwar.
- 4th ball: A tricky and slower delivery that caused a stump out dismissal Kanika Anuja.
- 5th ball: A highly paced delivery shattered the stumps to dismiss Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
- 6th ball (hattrick): Concluded the over in style by claiming her first 5-fer in WPL as well as her hattrick. Renuka Singh, trapped in an LBW dismissal, allowed Nandni to claim four wickets in the last over of the innings.
Nandni Sharma’s Opinion After Claiming Her First WPL Hat-Trick
After the conclusion of the first innings, Nandni Sharma dedicated her achievement to the skipper Jemimah Rodrigues and teammate Shafali Varma for continuously motivating her.
The youngster explained how she altered her line and length to produce variations that helped her claim a 5-fer as well as a hat trick:
“Exactly! My focus was just to bowl at the right areas. Before every ball, it was Jemimah and Shafali who guided me on how to keep the plan simple by just attacking the stumps.
Honestly speaking, I didn’t expect that I would claim a hat-trick. But the team supported me that the wickets would be taken easily.
After I bowled my first over, I figured out that the batters were able to execute shots effectively against my regular bowling style. So, I decided to come up with unique variations, and thankfully, it worked out better than expected.
At this ground, my mother, brother, and a close friend are here. Also, the remaining members of my family are watching the game from home. Thanks to all of them for showing immense support,” Nandni said.