WPL kicks off today and fans are pretty pumped

Today, as the first-ever Women’s Premier League (WPL) match between Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants kicks off at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, there’s no doubt it’s going to be history in the making.

After all, it’s taken 15 years, after the launch of men’s IPL (India Premier League) in 2008, for women’s cricket to have a league of its own.

With five franchises—Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Giants, Delhi Capitals (DC), and UP Warriorz—picking up talented players from all over the world, the first edition of WPL has already garnered a lot of excitement and attention among players and fans alike.

YourStory spoke to a few diehard fans of the game to understand what they are looking forward to in the next few weeks of WPL.

Fans are thrilled about the inaugural edition and can’t stop talking about it.

Archana Mohan, a writer from Bengaluru, is hoping for a “blistering” start to WPL, just like how “Brendon McCullum set the tone for the IPL with a century.”

Gaurav Joshi, a public relations manager in Bengaluru, is keen to see the depth of talent on display and says it will be interesting to see how the teams adapt to the pressure that comes with league games.

Ardent followers of women's cricket believe WPL could be a game-changer in more ways than one and provide women cricketers a great platform to innovate.

Prithi Ashwin, wife of India’s star spinner R Ashwin and director at Gennext Cricket Institute, says the women’s league has been long overdue.

“Lots of positive developments have given impetus to WPL, our U-19 girls lifted the World Cup while the seniors reached the semi-finals; so, it all augurs well for women’s cricket in India," she says.

Tanvi Srivastava, an entrepreneur and author from Bengaluru, believes WPL will give an opportunity for Indian players to train with some of the top cricketers in the world. “This is naturally going to up the game, and I am really looking forward to this,” she says.

WPL has struck a chord not just with fans in India but has also caught the attention of cricket lovers across the world.

Nirandhi Naidu, a Toronto-based content strategist and an avid cricketer during her college days in Bengaluru, says she’s looking forward to women’s cricket taking centre stage finally. She thinks WPL will be an important multiplier of visibility for women’s cricket.

“Having an entire league rife with opportunities to learn more about the players and engage with their stats, or even shop for merchandise and cheer for your city, is going to create a long-term interest in the players’ careers.”

Ajay Kumar, who lives in Upstate New York, follows women’s cricket regularly. In fact, he is still heartbroken over Harmanpreet Kaur's runout in the T20 World Cup semi-final against Australia.

Putting that disappointment aside, he is excited about the upcoming WPL. “I think it will get a lot of young women who are in their teens to take up cricket seriously and make a career out of it.”

Who are fans rooting for?

Many of the fans are eager to watch Smriti Mandhana, who is known for her explosive batting style. They also think Australian all-rounder Elysse Perry could be a formidable player this season.

Nirandhi is backing RCB as her favourite player Perry is in the team. And so is Shriya Seksaria, an entrepreneur from Coimbatore.

So, can RCB finally break the jinx with its women’s team?

“Too early to a say ee sala cup namde? But RCB looks good on paper, led by Mandhana. They have quite a few superstars, including Heather Knight, Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Renuka Singh,” opines Archana.

She also thinks Gujarat Titans is another team to watch out for, with “many new faces and a successful international captain.” Archana will be watching WPL with her 11-year-old son, who is a big fan of Harmanpreet Kaur, who’s leading the Mumbai Indians side.

Azhar Mohamed, the media lead of the Mumbai Cricket Association, thinks UP Warriorz has a good unit.

“They have a really good skipper in Alyssa Healy, Deepti Sharma, who is a proven campaigner for team India, and another renowned spinner in Sophie Ecclestone. The team also has a young speedster in Lauren Bell and Tahlia McGrath who is good in both departments of the game,” he says.

Prithi loves to watch the vivacious Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals), but when it comes to team loyalty in WPL, she is keeping "an open mind” for the first year.

Plans for WPL

The WPL tournament, to be played from March 4 to 26, features 22 matches, and all of them will be played in Mumbai—at CCI-Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium.

Prasannata Patwa, a journalist in Mumbai, will be watching the match between RCB and DC on Sunday (March 5) with her sister Samriddhi.

After M S Dhoni’s stint as captain came to an end, Prasannata’s interest in cricket dipped. But women’s cricket has pulled her back to the sport she once loved. “I am rooting for women overall because this has been in the making for so long,” she says.

Gowri Ramesh, a digital marketer based in Bengaluru, plans to watch WPL with friends and family at home and also at the RCB Bar & Café in the city, where the “atmosphere is almost as good as in a stadium.”

Prithi hopes to catch the action live on TV with her daughters Akhira and Aadhya.

“They watched a few of the World Cup games with me, so they are super kicked about the girls playing an IPL,” she shares.

Drumming up support

Fans form an integral part of the popularity of the men’s T20 league, and franchises take their fan base seriously.

Rajesh V Menon, Head & Director, RCB, says RCB’s male-to-female audience profile is 54:46, which is comparatively higher than the tournament average.

“RCB also ranks high amongst all 10 teams (men’s IPL) on female fans’ engagement,” he says, citing a YouGov study.

Both the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the WPL franchises are looking to drum up fan support for the women’s league too.

While the Delhi franchise organised a Facebook/YouTube live for DC fans earlier this week, RCB has released a special video embodying the spirit of RCB fans.

"There’s an RCB player in every fan. As we prepare to #PlayBold, your support will continue to be our driving force,” goes the video.

In a bid to woo fans to watch WPL at the stadium, BCCI has kept ticket prices affordable at Rs 100-400. Entry for women is free if they register before March 4.

BCCI has also released an official anthem for WPL titled Yeh Toh Bas Shuruat Hai (This is just the beginning). It starts off with a rousing chant and breaks into catchy lyrics, reflecting the determination of the players and the spirit of the game. The anthem has received an overwhelming response on social media from cricket lovers and WPL fans.

Deconstructing fandom

So, is a fan of women’s cricket and WPL any different from cricket fans in general?

Nirandhi doesn’t think so. “A woman’s cricket fan is, first and foremost, a cricket fan,” she emphasises. “A lot of Indians are cricket fans. Just like a lot of Indians are women’s cricket fans—they just don’t know it yet,” she adds.

Maitreyi Buddhadev, a student at Birmingham State University, too echoes similar sentiments. Her father introduced her to cricket when she was a young girl. Then she introduced him to women’s cricket.

“I can say proudly that both of us now discuss women’s cricket more than men’s cricket. So, anyone who follows and loves cricket is a women’s cricket fan,” she says.

Shriya believes with the quality of cricket being played today, anyone who loves cricket will become a WPL fan.

Anjana P V, a cricket enthusiast from Kochi, defines women’s cricket fan as someone who is happy to see women breaking stereotypes and lifting others through sport.

As WPL gets underway, the stage is surely set for shattering stereotypes, lifting hopes, and creating milestones. And the fans are all geared up—to cheer loud and clear. Let the games begin!