The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) was undoubtedly a blockbuster tournament. It will help in raising the popularity of women’s cricket to the global level. The first-ever edition of the WPL title was clinched by Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians.
According to Harmanpreet, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has brought about a huge development for female cricketers in India. The 34-year-old cricketer revealed her thought that there were individuals who displayed a greater passion for the women’s competition than to the men’s IPL. She also pointed out that the WPL might potentially extend its team roster in the approaching years, thereby offering opportunities for budding new talents within the country.
“WPL was a game changer for us. That tournament was so good. Everyone loved it back home. The response we got…trust me, some of the audience was more interested in women’s IPL than men’s because it was something new to watch,” Kaur said on Daggers & Lyds podcast.
Kaur also discussed the future of WPL and its expansion, she mentioned that she really liked the inaugural season and she is hopeful of seeing some new teams in the upcoming edition. She said:
“They really liked it. Hopefully, we’ll add more teams. I don’t know when it will happen but eventually it will. We do have very good talent back home. Those girls should get this opportunity,” she added.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who is currently playing in the Women’s Hundred competition with Trent Rockets, also spoke about her experience playing in the T20 franchise leagues outside India.
“When I first got to play WBBL, it was a great opportunity because before that we were all playing domestic cricket. There were no overseas players involved. Then I came for the KIA league, then I got to play with English players. You need such opportunities,” she added.
Jhulan Goswami taught me how I can adapt to International cricket: Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur offered thoughts regarding India’s bilateral series versus England in 2022. During this series, the respected fast bowler Jhulan Goswami bid adieu to her international cricket adventure.
Reflecting on the event, the 34-year-old cricketer reminisced about the series and characterized it as a memorable moment. She remarked how incredibly meaningful it was for her, as Jhulan Goswami, the veteran speedster, had played a crucial part in tutoring and helping her through the subtleties of the game at the international level.
“It was a very emotional moment for me. Growing up for us, she was the cricketer leading the Indian women’s cricket team and when I got the opportunity to play with her, she was always very nice to me. She taught me how I can adapt to international cricket.”
“When you have a friend like that, a teammate like that, who can make you learn things quickly, you always respect her. When we got to know that it was her last series, we wanted to win it at all costs. We were really pumped up. We wanted to play our best cricket for her. And I’m really happy that we did really well, won all three games,” Kaur concluded.
Comments 1