Life's all purple for the WPL's new pace queen Nandani Sharma

When Nandani Sharma completed a hat-trick in just her second WPL match, her emotions took over. She roared, pointed towards the stands, and offered a salute to the Delhi Capitals (DC) management seated there. It was her way of acknowledging the faith they had shown in her, for backing her at a time when she was "struggling" and giving her the opportunity to perform on the big stage.

A two-wicket haul on debut was followed by a night to remember: the first hat-trick by an uncapped Indian player in WPL history, and a place on an elite list as only the second Indian to take a five-for in the tournament, all achieved inside two games.

"I was told from the beginning that I will be backed no matter what," she said after the five-for against Gujarat Giants (GG). "DC picked me, so I feel like I wanted to do something for DC. My celebration was for them."

The 24-year-old Chandigarh quick had been on DC's radar for some time before they secured her for INR 20 lakh at the auction late last year. Her main strength is to land the ball on a good length repeatedly, but she also has several variations, especially her slower balls.

One such variation, a back-of-the-hand slower ball, proved decisive against GG. Bowling her second over after being taken apart by Sophie Devine in her first, Nandani rolled her fingers on the ball and deceived Devine, who was well set on 95. The wicket sparked a turnaround. From there, Nandani ran through the lower order, picking up four more wickets, including the hat-trick in the final over.

A moment that captured the significance of the spell was when Devine, who held the purple cap before the game, handed it over to Nandani during the break between innings.

In the stands that evening were her mother Seema and brother Akash, whom Nandani waved at after earning the cap. Over the past year, they have been more than just a support system. They have been her coaches too, helping her develop her inswinger. Earlier, much of her learning had come from training alongside boys.

"I used to practice with a coach first and then he taught me how to bowl the bouncer," Nandani said. "In between, I changed my coach after the lockdown. When I was there, I used to play with boys but they used to pick my ball easily. So I learned to bowl faster and also develop variations. Because they used to hit easily. Then I learned variations because I was getting hit.

"My parents and brother have taught me everything including how to bowl the inswinger. They have given me a lot of time to grow, it took me a lot of time to learn all this."

The hat-trick was executed perfectly under pressure. Kanika Ahuja went first, beaten by an offcutter and stumped. Rajeshwari Gayakwad followed, undone by one that stayed straight and hit middle and leg.

Before the final delivery, Nandani consulted her captain Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma. "I was in [two minds] as to if I have to bowl the bouncer or the slower one," she said later on the official WPL channel. "Jemi asked me to bowl the stock ball." She did exactly that. Full and straight, and Renuka Singh, attempting the lap, could only watch the ball crash into the stumps.

Nandani's rise has been built on the rigours of the domestic circuit, and she even had a stint at the Under-23 Emerging Camp in Bengaluru in 2025. DC had seen enough even before the auction.

"She has been to a few trial camps and had a good domestic year," head coach Jonathan Batty said after DC's first match. "She has been really impressive in training and bowled beautifully in different roles. To finish with figures like she did on debut (2 for 26) is a really good start to her WPL career."

DC went on to lose the match against GG, but captain Rodrigues was all praise for Nandani. "She has been one of our top picks and she's a captain's delight. She is so accurate in whatever she does. She's always ready to take it on, and I'm very happy for her."

Guided ball by ball by Rodrigues on the field, Nandani is also soaking in knowledge from a star-studded side that includes Marizanne Kapp. "She used to give me information about the pitch," Nandani said. "She gave a message to Shafali in the first match, telling her to ask me to bowl this [a certain] way."

Former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad, part of DC's coaching staff this season, has also added to her game. "My bowling line, fielding, A to Z, he tells me what to do," Nandani said. "We discuss it before and after the match. About field settings and what ball should be bowled, he is helping me a lot."

Her journey into cricket began simply by watching her brother head to the ground every day.

"Seeing him [elder brother], I also wanted to play," she said. "I was eight years old when I went to the academy but they didn't give me much priority because I was very young, so I quit. They didn't give me bowling, so I didn't want to go. Almost after six months, I started again and then I came on track."

The desire to bowl fast was sparked by another player at the academy. "At that time, there was a senior didi [sister] at the academy. She used to run fast and bowl. I didn't know much at that time, I told sir (coach) that I wanted to bowl like that. And it all developed naturally."

As if the hat-trick and the purple cap weren't enough, another moment made the night even sweeter: a congratulatory Instagram story from Smriti Mandhana.

"My dream has come true. The fact that people see me while scrolling on Instagram... it's a big thing. I can't even explain," Nandani said. "I feel very proud at this time."

For young Indian fast bowlers taking inspiration from her, the message is simple: "I would like to say don't give up, don't give up in life," she said. "There will be a time when everything will go wrong. There will be a time when you will stop fast bowling. There will be an injury. You have to fight it and come back. Don't give up in life."