 "Ekta Bisht played her first WPL game at the age of 38 years. Sportzpics")
Ekta Bisht became the oldest player to feature in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) when the Indian spinner played for Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday, 4 March.
Ekta was called up to replace 21-year-old all-rounder Shreyanka Patil in the match against UP Warriorz. Shreyanka, who was the leading wicket-taker for RCB in the last edition, was forced to sit out due to a niggle.
Her absence paved the way for Ekta to make her maiden WPL appearance at the age of 38 years and 25 days. The Uttarakhand-born cricketer, however, failed to produce anything significant in the match. She bowled just one over and gave away 10 runs without picking any wickets.
Bisht, who represents Railways in domestic cricket, last played an international game back in February 2022, featuring in an ODI match against New Zealand. She made her debut for the Indian women’s team in 2011.
Since then, Ekta has donned the Blue jersey in 63 ODIs and 42 T20Is, picking 98 and 53 wickets respectively. She also represented India in one Test against England in 2014 and fetched three scalps. Despite being inconsistent in the squad, Ekta has time and again proven her calibre, both in the domestic and international circuits.
Ekta Bisht was part of the Indian side that came out runners-up in the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup. Her best performance came in a league match against Pakistan.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEkta claimed a five-wicket haul in the match, helping her team secure a commanding 95-run win. Batting first, India set a target of 170 runs in 50 overs. Pakistan, in reply, could not survive long, with Ekta ripping through their batting order. Thanks to her dominant bowing, Pakistan were bundled out for 74 runs.
Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore signed Ekta for a price of Rs 30 lakhs at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction last year. She has previously played in the Women’s T20 Challenge, representing the Velocity team, under the captaincy of legend Mithali Raj. Ekta, however, has yet to demonstrate his class in the WPL.