“In five to 10 years, I think India could dominate women’s cricket" - Ashleigh Gardner
Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner has praised the impact that the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) has created and predicts the Indian team to rise to the top of the pile on the back of it.
The No.1-ranked T20I all-rounder represented the Gujarat Giants (GG) in WPL 2023 and was the most expensive overseas acquisition at the auction alongside England's Nat Scover-Brunt.
After being roped in for ₹3.2 crore, she took a while to find her feet but eventually ended up as her side's best performer in the campaign, where they finished at the bottom of the table. Gardner scored 204 runs and took 10 wickets in her first WPL season.
A dynamic partnership between Hemalatha & Ashleigh 💥
Monica's maiden wicket in #WPL 😍
#GiantArmy, what was your Moment of the Match in #GGvUPW? 🤔
@FortuneFoods | #BringItOn #GujaratGiants #FortuneFoods #TATAWPL https://t.co/W4ZudUqCKM
Backing the WPL to transform and propel the Indian women's team to the very top, Gardner said in an interview with The Hindu:
“In five to 10 years, I think India could dominate women’s cricket, but I might be retired by then, so I won’t have to fight them at their highest.
Naming Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) Shreyanka Patil as one of the names to watch out for in the future, Gardner said:
“It is pleasing to see so many young Indian talents, like Shreyanka Patil of RCB; she is a young off-spinner and handy batter as well.”
Shreyanka was among the top young performers in the WPL 2023. The 20-year-old came into the side during their second match and retained her place until the end. She took six wickets and scored some valuable runs coming down the order as well.
"Now is the right time" - Ashleigh Gardner on the inception of the WPL
The all-rounder praised the inception of the competition, believing that with women's cricket being at an all-time high in terms of interest and quality, it was the right time to flag the league off. She said:
“As international cricketers we have been waiting for this competition to start off. Now is the right time."
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Sharing her experiences as an Indigenous cricketer, only the second to represent the women's team, she said:
“When I came to India with the Indigenous squad, it was challenging conditions and it was also challenging to captain a team that I didn’t know well."
Who will win the inaugural edition of the WPL? Let us know what you think.