“The start of Tata WPL was an emotional moment. It is a great opportunity for the domestic players as well.” Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur speaks about the launch of the WPL being a great opportunity for the domestic players to showcase their talent.
The women in blue suffered multiple heart-breaking in ICC events, having been unable to clear the knockout stages of the tournaments. The best finish for the women in blue in an ICC tournament was when they managed to reach the final under skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 in Australia, where they suffered a massive 85-run defeat against the hosts.
There was an incredible rise in demand for the introduction of a franchise league in India for women cricketers. The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League was finally introduced and it turned out to be a blockbuster success. Mumbai Indians led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur were crowned the inaugural champions by defeating the Delhi Capitals led by skipper Meg Lanning by 7 wickets in the final.
“The start of the WPL was an emotional moment because we were waiting for it (WPL) for a long time. There was a lot of excitement and happiness within the team as soon as we heard about the official announcement of the Inaugural edition of the WPL. It is a big opportunity for the domestic players to display their talent and I’m sure, they also must be waiting for this opportunity. The introduction of a franchise league is an achievement for all of us.” Harmanpreet Kaur speaks about joy and happiness upon hearing the official announcement of the launch of the inaugural edition of the WPL.
The inaugural season discovered some talented individuals from the domestic circuit, the likes of Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, and Saika Ishaque all of them displayed impressive glimpses of their talent while representing their respective franchises in the tournament. They were eventually rewarded as all of them went on to represent India at the international level.
The left-arm spinner from Bengal, Saika Ishaque impressed one and all in her maiden appearance after being picked to play in the first-choice 11 in a tournament opener against the Gujarat Giants. She returned with exceptional match figures (3.1-1-11-4). She signed off as the 5th highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 15 wickets at a strike rate of 13.93 and an average of 16.26 from 10 innings with an economy of 7. She eventually went on to make her India debut on 6th December 2023 in a T20I against England. She has picked up 5 wickets in 3 innings so far in the T20I format.
“Saika’s performance was impressive, the way she provided the breakthroughs in the powerplay, apart from that, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s performances in the last couple of matches, the way she chipped in with crucial performances with the bat in crunch matches, considering her struggles throughout the season, till that point of time. It shows that, when it comes down to big matches, the match-winners tend to step up to the occasion.” Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur picks her top moments from WPL 2023.
Shreyanka Patil got limited opportunities after being picked up by RCB, however, it was enough for the selectors to take note of her talent as she went on to make her India debut on 6th December 2023 in a T20I against England. She has picked up 8 wickets in 6 innings so far in the T20I format with a strike rate of 14.7 and an average of 19.75 in 6 innings. As far as the ODIs are concerned, she has picked up 4 wickets in two innings.
The teams will come into the new season with a rejuvenated approach with the inclusion of fresh faces in every squad. The 2nd edition promises to level up the excitement and the thrill of the tournament as 5 teams will once again gear themselves up to battle for glory.
(Information sourced from JioCinema / Sports18)