Ahead of the Women’s Premier League 2025, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who also leads Mumbai Indians in the WPL, spoke about the immense role of WPL in preparing for this year’s ODI World Cup hosted by India.
In a media interaction, during the Mumbai Indians’ pre-season press conference on Wednesday, Kaur expressed her opinion on WPL, saying, “This WPL is going to play a very big role because this year we have the ODI World Cup. After the WPL, we have a very good window where we can work on our fitness.”
During the press conference, she also took a moment to congratulate the Indian U-19 women’s team on their recent success, acknowledging their impressive performances. “Our U-19 team is setting a benchmark with back-to-back trophies, and it’s a very proud moment for all of us,” she added.
Former India pacer and current Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach and team mentor Jhulan Goswami, shared her thoughts on the profound impact of the WPL on women’s cricket, highlighting how it has reshaped perceptions and elevated player recognition.
“Most importantly, if you go to domestic cricket, you will see their (players’) mindset, their approach towards the game, it was not there earlier. You will see they (now) want to come and play a good brand of cricket, try to impress those scout people to get a chance to play in WPL,” Goswami said.
She emphasized how the league has not only given domestic players a platform to showcase their talent but also increased their visibility among fans. Traveling with the Bengal team, she has noticed a significant shift in the way people perceive women’s cricket, with growing interest in WPL schedules and auctions. According to Goswami, the league has sparked greater awareness and engagement, ensuring that players who perform well receive the recognition they deserve.
Team Head Coach, Charlotte Edwards too, talked about the impact of WPL, attributing the rapid improvement in Indian cricket to WPL. “(As) someone who is new to Indian cricket, to see the difference from year one to year three now, the caliber of players, as you say, the impact it’s having in the domestic cricket and the quality that’s come through… in the trials recently, when I compare that to year one, it’s on a different level and it’s hugely exciting for Indian cricket,” she said.
She noted that the league has played a key role in nurturing young talent, as evident from India’s recent U-19 T20 World Cup success. Edwards believes this gradual rise in player quality is a promising sign for Indian cricket, even joking that it might be a bit scary for England.
Jhulan Goswami, also expressed confidence in the team’s core strength and appreciated the domestic players for their excellent performances. She highlighted that the players have consistently excelled in domestic cricket, with standout talents like G Kamalini, who recently won the U-19 T20 World Cup, and Sanskriti Gupta, displaying great capabilities. Goswami pinpointed the balanced composition of the team, with veteran experienced players and promising young talent.
Charlotte Edwards also discussed the injury status of Pooja Vastrakar, stating that they are closely examining her fitness and will make a call soon.
Lastly, Kaur also talked about how WPL will motivate the local young girls and encourage them to work harder. This year, there is an expansion in the WPL venues, compared to last edition. Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Mumbai will be hosting WPL 2025. She also added, “This season, (I’m) really happy that we are getting a chance to play in front of our fans because last season, we really missed that.”
Mumbai Indians open their WPL 2025 campaign against Delhi Capitals on 15th February at Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Vadodara and Harmanpreet Kaur-led unit is eager to win their second WPL title.
Loves all things female cricket