Tara Norris, WPL’s only associate player, takes fifer on Delhi Capitals debut vs RCB

Tara Norris, a left-arm pacer from the USA, took five wickets to derail Royal Challengers Bangalore’s chase of 224.

Tara Norris of Delhi Capitals celebrates the wicket of Kanika Ahuja of Royal Challengers Bangalore during match two of the Women’s Premier League between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Capitals held at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on the 5th March 2023 Photo by: Arjun Singh / SPORTZPICS for WPL

Delhi Capitals reaped the rewards of investing in an associate player in its Women’s Premier League campaign opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

American pacer Tara Norris had a debut to remember as she took five wickets in her first game for the Capitals to derail what was looking like a comfortable run chase for RCB.

The 24-year-old took the wickets of Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh and Kanika Ahuja - on consecutive deliveries - and Heather Knight to snuff out the momentum from the RCB chase.

While only four overseas players are allowed in the final eleven in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL), the women’s tournament has an additional rule which states: “A team will be allowed to have a maximum of five overseas players, four of whom may come from Full Member nations and the fifth from an Associate Member nation.”

Interestingly, no other team picked an Associate player during the auction, which means only DC will enjoy the advantage of fielding five foreigners during a match throughout WPL 2023 provided the side goes ahead with Norris in the eleven.