The long-awaited, Women’s Premier League (WPL), had its inaugural edition played from the 4th to the 26th of March. From big paydays to healthy races to claim the Orange and Purple caps, to nail-biters, big totals, collapses, elite-level fielding moments, controversies, and whatnot; the past 3-weeks simply had all flavors that make up a good tournament.
Launched by the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) on the lines of the most successful Twenty20 tournament, the Indian Premier League and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) too had a very successful start. Overnight, it became the highest-paid franchise tournament in women’s sports, not just in India but across the globe.
Saika Ishaque, a little known to few and an unknown to many, emerged as the breakthrough star of the tournament and she is one of many who deserved recognition and earned the dues during the course of the 3-week tournament. Saika’s “bowler hu, wicket lene aayi hu” after a brilliant spell made rounds on social media, and she in no time was a sensation that any young fan watching the game would want to grow up to be.
๐ฌ Bowler hu, wicket lene aayi hu ~Saika Ishaque ๐#CricketTwitter #WPL2023 #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/eTHwLglaLD
โ Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 6, 2023
Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Gujarat Giants with only a couple of wins each, surely had hard times both on and off the field but for anyone like Shreyanka Patil – a talent who caught the eyes of many, including the Indian skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur. For many like Shreyanka to have the opportunity to share the dressing room and rub shoulders with international legends who are more than just cricketers would have been a learning curve like no other.
16-year-old, Parshavi Chopra who was picked at the WPL auction post an impressive Under-19 World Cup campaign, in form of the WPL had a platform to learn and grow her game. The WPL will polish domestic talents and get them ready for international cricket where careers are built or broken based on every performance after having dealt with intense pressure game situations.
The tournament in every possible way was a massive hit and nothing less. In numbers, JioCinema – the WPL streaming platform clocked over 50 minutes of watch time per user per match of the WPL. The Final between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals had over 10mn new viewers tune in which is the highest viewership for any women’s event globally.
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10 Million New Users tuned in to watch the Final of the Women’s Premier League between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians ๐#CricketTwitter #WPL2023 Source: JioCinema pic.twitter.com/jsK5Az5kAr
โ Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) March 27, 2023
The WPL is here to stay and is here to ensure that women’s cricket ever again doesn’t go through a phase where players struggle for livelihood and recognition, and teams for talents. The WPL if not already, now post the inaugural season for sure has changed the landscape of women’s cricket forever, and for it to rapidly evolve is the next ask.