3 biggest positives for Indian cricket from WPL 2023
Mumbai Indians won the inaugural edition of the WPL by defeating Delhi Capitals in an exciting final at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday, March 26. Chasing 132, they won the match by seven wickets with three balls to spare.
The tournament was a big success. It was a crowd-puller and fans witnessed high-quality cricket throughout. Several players made their mark on the competition and impressed both fans and critics.
Mumbai Indians become the first team to win IPL, CL T20 & WPL. https://t.co/ItpnrsmO4s
Here's a look at the three positives for Indian cricket from WPL 2023.
#1 Rise of talented players
The men's IPL provided a platform for some of the most skilled players across the globe to perform on a big stage. It helped teams approach T20 in a more nuanced manner. Therefore, the demand for a women's competition was increasing day by day.
We saw several new talents emerge. The uncapped Saika Ishaque bagged 15 wickets at an economy rate of just 7 runs per over in the WPL, playing an integral role in the Mumbai Indians' title-winning campaign.
More fans are now watching women's cricket, which is great for the game's growth.
#2 National team regulars getting more knockout experience
Picture of WPL: Kaur hugging Goswami.
This is emotion, This is WPL. https://t.co/n9AOtyjOH6
India's women's T20 team have performed well in international cricket over the past few years. They play an exciting brand of cricket under skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and have made it to several knockouts in global tournaments, only to fail to deliver at crucial moments.
Regulars like Harmanpreet, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shefali Verma and others got decent exposure to knockouts in the WPL with a title win at stake. This will help them react to pressure in a better manner going forward.
#3 Players interacting with some of the biggest names in the game
Youngsters learn a lot while sharing a dressing room with the likes of Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, and Nat Sciver Brunt. While their stature might be intimidating at the start, it is an immense learning curve for youngsters to pick the brains of legends of the game.
When a player of that stature takes note of an Indian youngster, it boosts their self-confidence going forward.