3 disappointing signs for Indian women's cricket after WPL 2023
The inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL 2023) came to a close earlier this week, with the Mumbai Indians (MI) triumphing in a tense final against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
Several superstars dished out memorable performances in the WPL. Hayley Matthews walked away with the MVP and Purple Cap awards, while Meg Lanning finished as the Orange Cap winner. Yastika Bhatia was adjudged the Emerging Player of the Season.
At the same time, though, it wasn't all rosy for the women's game in the country. The first-ever edition of the WPL revealed that there's still a long way to go before the national team and its supporters can benefit heavily from the league.
Here are three disappointing signs for Indian women's cricket after WPL 2023.
#3 WPL 2023 unearthed barely any uncapped talent who could immediately be in national contention
#WPL2023
Wow, some praise from Ellyse Perry for Shreyanka Patil. "Super young and to see her bat the way she does and the bowling talent. She is a special star for future. I haven't seen someone like that of her age around the world for a long time with that skill and attitude. https://t.co/lb4OzK1Y8x
How many players from WPL 2023 can immediately be considered for selection at the international level? We've seen several players from the men's game make the step up from the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the lucrative tournament virtually becoming the yardstick for selection.
Unfortunately, though, the women's league doesn't have that same privilege as of now. It has been restricted to only five teams, and there's understandably a gulf in quality between the uncapped players and the established international cricketers.
Barring a few names, including Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil, the tournament unearthed barely any uncapped talent who could immediately be in Team India's plans. This will definitely change in the future as players get more exposure, but it would've been a touch less disappointing had a few more relatively unknown names made a sufficient impression.
#2 India's pace department, barring Shikha Pandey, doesn't look very strong
Shikha Pandey, with 10 scalps at an economy rate of 6.59, was the only Indian pacer to make a genuine impression in WPL 2023. Anjali Sarvani was the next highest wicket-taker among domestic fast bowlers, and she managed just four scalps at an economy rate of 7.91.
Renuka Singh Thakur was a massive disappointment, picking up just one wicket in six matches at an average of 159. Monica Patel returned one scalp in two games, while Mansi Joshi managed two in six. Arundhati Reddy recorded two wickets in nine overs, while Pooja Vastrakar bowled just four overs with one wicket to show for.
At the end of WPL 2023, the Women in Blue have barely any fast-bowling reserves to call upon. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to claim that they are worse off after the tournament.
#1 Most of India's high-profile batters weren't at their best
India's woes weren't limited to the fast-bowling department alone. Several high-profile batters didn't meet expectations during the WPL, with only two of the top 10 run-scorers in the competition being Indian.
Opener Smriti Mandhana was a massive failure, managing a highest score of 37 in eight innings. She averaged 18.62 at a strike rate of 111.19 while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Others like Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, S Meghana, KP Navgire and Devika Vaidya had subpar campaigns with the bat as well.
Shafali Verma played some important knocks and showed marked improvement in her fielding. She, along with Harmanpreet Kaur, were probably the only two established Indian batters to make their mark during WPL 2023. Apart from them, only Yastika Bhatia and Harleen Deol managed to breach the 200-run mark.