A GAMECHANGER FOR Women's Cricket

Fifteen years after IPL changed the face of men's cricket, a similar transformation beckons the women's cricketing landscape, with a full-fledged T20 league for women that gets rolling this month

- Ravi Raj

For a long time, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) had maintained that a full-fledged franchise league for women's cricket is not financially feasible. And many gullible fans not only bought this flimsy argument, but regurgitated it ad infinitum against the advocates of an IPL-styled league for women. Even the former Indian skipper, Mithali Raj, wasn't spared when in 2017 just after India finished as the runners-up in the Women's ODI World Cup - she talked about the pressing need to have a league for women. The sceptics took shelter in the usual trope of lack of demand for women's cricket, despite numerous examples proving otherwise.

Fast forward to 2023, where all myths have been shattered, after the BCCI collected a whopping Rs 4,669.99 crore by selling five franchises for the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL). Three of the existing IPL franchises - Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bangalore successfully bid for the women's teams, while the remaining two slots were filled by Adani Sports and Capri Global.

In what was perhaps the biggest injection of cash into women's sports, the impending WPL trumped the well-established league like the Women's NBA, in terms of valuation. The board added another Rs 951 crore by selling the media rights of the first five seasons to Viacom 18. These numbers reflect the trust stakeholders have shown in women's cricket and cricketers, who have consistently punched above their weight despite operating under a shoestring budget. "It's great to see that the tournament is finally starting and it will give a lot more girls the chance to showcase their talent at the highest levels. And I am sure that this move will go a long way in enhancing the cricketing landscape," shares Smriti Mandhana, the current vice-captain for the Indian women's national team.