Cricket News

Smriti Mandhana calls for WPL’s multi-city expansion

This year marked a significant milestone in Indian cricket history with the inaugural season of Women’s Premier League. Finally, India had its own T20 league dedicated to showcasing the talent and skill of its female cricketers.

While other cricket-loving nations like Australia, with their Women’s Big Bash League, and England, with The Hundred, had already established successful women’s leagues years ago, India’s late entry into the field was undeniably a missed opportunity. The Indian Cricket Board, the world’s richest cricket board, has been lagging behind in recognizing the potential and importance of a dedicated women’s league.

The arrival of the WPL has not only filled this void but has also ignited a new wave of excitement and enthusiasm for women’s cricket in India. The inaugural season of the WPL concluded with resounding success, marking a watershed moment for women’s cricket in India and beyond. The league saw some of the best players in the world assemble on the field, showcasing exceptional talent and creating moments that will be etched in cricketing history.

Now, all eyes have turned to the highly anticipated player auction for season 2, scheduled for Saturday, December 9th, in Mumbai. This year’s auction promises to be an exhilarating affair, with a pool of talented players vying for the opportunity to showcase their skills on the WPL stage. From established international stars to promising young talents, the auction is expected to witness fierce competition as franchises strive to assemble the strongest possible squads.

“As an RCB player, I would love to…”

Smriti Mandhana, the Indian cricket star and captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League, has called for a significant change to the league’s format: introducing a multi-city format where teams play at their home grounds. Speaking at a recent event, Mandhana expressed her belief that this shift would be a positive step forward for the WPL.

This proposal echoes the format of the highly successful Indian Premier League, where teams play a portion of their matches at their home stadiums. The WPL currently holds all its matches at centralized venues, missing out on the unique atmosphere and fan engagement that a home-ground advantage can bring.

“It would be great to have WPL in the multi-city format. I think that might be the next step and I am sure the people right here would look into it and make it happen. As an RCB player, I would love to play in Chinnaswamy where people are chanting ‘RCB RCB’ and just to be in that environment. That is something which is one step ahead for us. It will help the game reach places where women’s cricket hasn’t reached and to get new audience going into women’s cricket,” Mandhana said.