Navi Mumbai: Former Australia cricketer and UP Warriorz captain Meg Lanning became the third cricketer in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 to cross the 1,000-run mark in the tournament in the seventh match against Delhi Capitals at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Lanning is now part of an elite group with her landmark achievement, along with England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt and India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, as these three batters have been the definition of greatness in terms of consistency, impact, and success during the brief but amazing history of WPL (Women’s Premier League).
Lanning’s total of runs (1,050) ranks her amongst the top scorers ever in WPL, with only Sciver-Brunt (1,101) above her and Harmanpreet (1,016) closely trailing behind. Australia’s Ellyse Perry(972) and Shafali Verma (887) make up the top five, showing the level of play and talent WPL is becoming known for shortly after its inception.
The 33-year-old Lanning, a right-handed batter and a right-handed medium pacer, achieved this milestone through three extremely successful years in charge of the Delhi Capitals (DC) from 2023 through 2025, where she led DC to a record of consistently finishing as runners-up each year. As an individual player, Lanning had an outstanding performance in the first season of WPL, which included 345 runs with a strike rate of 139.11, including two half-centuries, and was one of the major influences in setting up the success of her team, DC.
Lanning, who made her international Test debut in August 2013, continued and had similarly great performances in the next two seasons, totalling 331 runs(2024) and 276 runs(2025). She was released by DC before WPL 2026 and subsequently acquired by UP Warriorz, who appointed her as the team captain for the ongoing season. Lanning
The WPL 2026 began on January 9 and will run till February 5, with the summit clash slated to be played at the BCA Stadium (Kotambi) in Vadodara.
(IANS)
