"The game has reached its result with the WPL" - Ellyse Perry
Star Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry opened up on playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the ongoing inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL 2023).
In a video posted on RCB's YouTube channel, Perry expressed her excitement at being a part of an Indian domestic competition like the WPL. She opined that the competition would benefit women's cricket significantly, considering its enormous scale.
Here's what she said about the first-ever WPL season:
"It's been very special. Just being a part of the first edition of any competition like this is amazing, but then you add to it being a part of an Indian domestic competition and just the scale. I think the game has reached its result with the WPL. It's been so cool to sort of see that play out, the first year, and knowing the potential and possibility of where this competition is going to go."
Ellyse Perry was roped in by the Bangalore-based franchise for ₹1.7 crore at the WPL auction earlier this year. She was the eighth-most-expensive at the event.
While the side are yet to get off the mark on the points table, Perry has impressed many with her stellar performances. The 32-year-old has mustered 195 runs from five outings, including two half-centuries.
"RCB has been such an important part of Indian cricket" - Ellyse Perry on representing the Bangalore-based team in WPL 2023
Ellyse Perry further pointed out how RCB has received an overwhelming response from the fans in WPL 2023, despite all the matches being in Mumbai.
The cricket star suggested that RCB has emerged as a very important part of Indian cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years. She also recalled being at the stadium for the first-ever IPL match in 2008.
Perry said:
"The fans are amazing. We have only played in Mumbai, and just have that many people come down and support the team has been wonderful. I was at the first-ever men's IPL game, which was RCB vs KKR, and even then, the passion and energy that was coming out of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that night was incredible. Even since then, for 15 years, RCB has been such an important part of Indian cricket and certainly the IPL."
The Smriti Mandhana-led RCB side have had a dismal run so far in the competition. They are languishing at the bottom of the WPL points table after suffering five back-to-back losses.
Ellyse Perry will next be seen in action on Wednesday, March 15, when RCB take on the UP Warrioz at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in the 13th match of the season.