London Spirit assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan envisions a transformative surge for women’s cricket in England, sparked by the upcoming 10th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (12th June to 5th July 2026) hosted across England and Wales, closely followed by the 6th edition of The Women’s Hundred (21st July to 16th August 2026).
Drawing from his experience leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to Women’s Premier League (WPL) glory right after India’s maiden senior ICC title win at the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, Rangarajan predicts a home World Cup triumph could ignite grassroots excitement, mirroring the cultural shift in India. As a key strategist in the inaugural Women’s Hundred auction for London Spirit, he shared optimistic views on how this sequence could elevate the franchise tournament under its new private equity ownership.
Rangarajan, who coached champions RCB amid the post-ODI World Cup euphoria, sees parallels for England. India, led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur under head coach Amol Muzumdar, had stunned South Africa (captained by Laura Wolvaardt) by 52 runs in the final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, during the 13th edition hosted by India and partly in Sri Lanka (30th September to 2nd November 2025).
“That was the impact that it had on us as Indians and as a whole demographic in India,” Rangarajan told ESPNcricinfo, reflecting on the ODI win’s ripple effects. “Harman and the team winning that World Cup has changed the landscape of cricket for women, and it just gives hope, and it gives the confidence for parents back home in India to tell their girl children, ‘it’s okay, go out of the house, go to work, go to play, it’s fine’.”
He anticipates similar momentum in England, despite cultural differences. “You will have a lot more girls and parents encouraging them, ‘Come watch the game!'” Rangarajan said, even as he roots for India. A home T20 World Cup win, he believes, could bridge the gap to mainstream appeal for The Hundred, fueling steady growth already seen in the UK women’s game. The WPL’s fourth season exemplified this post-title boom in India, with stars like Harmanpreet gracing magazine covers, TV shows, and advertisements, positioning cricket as a viable career for girls.
At the auction, overseas stars dominated earnings: Australia’s Beth Mooney and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine topped at £210,000, England’s Dani Gibson fetched £190,000, and Spirit secured South African allrounder Nadine de Klerk for £170,000, the fourth-highest bid. De Klerk, reuniting with Rangarajan after starring in RCB’s WPL campaign (16 wickets at 15.68, economy 7.84, third-highest wicket-taker, behind joint-leaders Devine and uncapped Indian Nandani Sharma), also smashed 208 runs at 52.00 and 131.64 in the 50-over World Cup, including an unbeaten 84 off 54 to down India in the league stages.
“Because we had retained so many all-rounders in Grace (Harris), Marizanne (Kapp and Charlie Dean, it gave us options going into the auction,” Rangarajan explained. “With Nadine, we know what she does really well; she is an option for us with the ball, middle, death, and as a batter. She’s been with RCB for a while now, and obviously she’s had a very good last 12 to 18 months with RCB and the South African team also.”
London Spirit bolstered their squad with pre-signings Kapp, Harris, and England vice-captain Dean, plus bargain buys like explosive West Indian Deandra Dottin (£37,000) for her batting, fielding, and versatile bowling. “We’ve got four pacers in the team now in Marizanne, Nadine, Dottin, and Mahika Gaur, all different, so we’ve got variation in the attack,” Rangarajan noted. “Mahika, with her left arm angle, is taller. Marizanne Kapp, I’m not going to waste anybody’s time talking about how good she is with the ball. Nadine gives us an option through the middle, and Dottin, she’s just a plug-in player for us.”
Indian stars like Deepti Sharma (£27,500 base price to Sunrisers Leeds) and Richa Ghosh (£50,000 to Manchester Super Giants) went cheaper than their WPL earnings. Rangarajan, versed in auction dynamics, shrugged it off: “I’ve learned this; the auction has seriously got to do with when you turn up and what the gaps are in the team. You just learn to acknowledge that it’s the auction order and auction dynamics.”
Rangarajan’s insights highlight a pivotal summer ahead, where a home World Cup could supercharge The Hundred’s global appeal and inspire the next generation in England.
(Quotes sourced from ESPN Cricinfo)
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