WPL moulded emerging players and helped revive many careers
After Mumbai Indians won the first season of the Women’s Premier League on Sunday, the entire squad celebrated lavishly. The owner of the team Nita Ambani danced on the pitch with the players after the historic victory, which was something unique to behold. Ambani has witnessed MI win the IPL championship five times, so this is not her first time to experience a triumph. But you can see how significant the victory was for her – one of the wealthiest people succeeded with her women’s squad. Despite being a women’s squad, there was no loss of enthusiasm; rather the excitement was equal. This was the moment the women’s cricket was crying for. All these years, women’s cricket had been calling out, and investors did believe their success was on par with that of the men’s. They believed and the women delivered thus producing fine displays throughout the season.
It is a tall order to rightly emphasise the significance of a strong start in sports. It may mean the difference between winning and losing, which sets the tone for the rest of the game. But a promising start always inspires a team or athlete to perform at their peak and this is what the WPL offered to the Indian women’s cricketers. What exactly did the WPL change for Indian women’s cricket? The first season of the WPL, which featured five teams, eight games per team within a month, multiple training sessions, and numerous interactions, had a great positive impact than anything else. We witnessed it, and the athletes experienced and spoke out about it.
The WPL gave the nation’s aspiring cricketers a rigorous learning and testing environment. The education and work ethic gained would trickle down to local clubs through players who participated in the WPL. Just image the effect that this ‘know-how’ transfer will have as the league develops over the course of seasons. Talented youngsters had the opportunity to share a dressing room with Ashleigh Gardner, Meghan Lanning, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, all of whom had significant international playing experience.
MI’s Saika Ishaque (15), the second-highest wicket-taker, is one of the tournament’s surprises. She had been competing on the local circuit for about ten years, but failed. At 27, the possibility of representing India would have looked incredibly remote, but not after her spell in the competition. However, there were stark differences among the players. The fitness levels of Indian athletes and those of international athletes like Meg Lanning, Sciver-Brunt, Ashleigh Gardener, and Marizanne Kapp were noticeably different. Indians will learn their biggest lessons year after year in the quest of this fitness.
While moulding emerging players, the Women’s Premier League has also assisted in reviving the careers of numerous players. Because of their standout performances in the competition, these players surely were able to gain back the trust of other franchise owners and selectors; and as a result, they would be likely to get calls to play for their national teams.
The stadium didn’t appear to be at capacity on television. The WPL, however, commended the numbers when it came to the OTT platform. The WPL’s first season on JioCinema attracted the most views of any women’s tournament ever. In fact, almost 10 million new people tuned in to see the championship game of the first season between the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.
There is no denying that the interest and money put into the league have given women players several possibilities, a career route, a road for representing their country, and the ability to interact with some of the best cricketers in the world. The BCCI will be able to channel and mobilise more funding as a result of the initiatives, which will improve sport overall. This is a huge motivation to young players who eye the ICC title. India should hope they now build on this robust setup towards achieving their goal of developing the best lot and winning the ICC title.