Cricket News

Less than a year ago, close to midnight, the streets of Morena in the Chambal Valley lit up with firecrackers to celebrate Smriti Mandhana leading her side to victory in the Women's Premier League final. Leading the celebration was a girl who, until four years ago, couldn't recognise a single woman cricketer. The contents of her numerous bookmarked reels on Perry, now her favourite cricketer, was in itself a testimony of how deeply invested teenagers - boys and girls alike - were in the women's tournament even in the outposts of the country, far beyond the obvious visuals of the packed stadium in the metropolitan city of Bengaluru. She may not quite know how to pronounce 'Ellyse' or 'Marizanne' correctly, but she is aware of what exactly they offer to her - cricketing entertainment.

Reportedly watched by 149 million viewers on TV and 109 million on digital platforms last season, it is obvious that WPL has had a marked role in popularising women's cricket in India. If the likes of Perry, Kapp, Meg Lanning and Amelia Kerr haven't become household names as yet like their Indian counterparts, they are likely to soon attain that status. Afterall, the impact of WPL was expected to mirror that of the IPL, at least to a significant degree, and it certainly seemed to be headed on that path.

Even without the McCullum-esque start to the tournament, patterns have emerged in the first two seasons suggesting that it could further move in that direction in the coming years. Even as the tournament continues to be played in a caravan format in 2025, the cities where they will travel have gone up from one in the first season to four in the third - taking their game to the non-metro centres, adding the challenge of travel and different playing conditions for the players to equip with.

Outlook: After a fairytale redemption curve - from five straight losses in WPL 2023 to securing the franchise's maiden trophy the following year - Royal Challengers Bengaluru are in a pickle even before their title defense could begin. Sophie Molineux is out injured, Sophie Devine has taken a break from cricket and Kate Cross, although uncapped, has withdrawn to complete rehab. Shreyanka Patil (shin) and Asha Sobhana (knee), the vital cogs of their spin attack last season, are doubtful starters due to long injury layoffs, while Ellyse Perry, having just recovered from a hip injury she sustained during the Women's Ashes, might just start the season as pure batter. A plethora of replacements have been called in, and RCB's biggest challenge this year - like in the inaugural season - would be to gel as a unit once again in quick turnaround time. This season, therefore, will be a true test of leadership for Smriti Mandhana, who has had a dream run in white-ball cricket in the 2024-25 season thus far.

Where they finished in WPL 2024: Champions

Auction round-up: Danielle Wyat-Hodge was a pre-auction trade-in from UP Warriorz, and will now likely form the new opening pair with the captain. At the mini auction, RCB broke the bank to secure the services of legspinning all-rounder Prema Rawat, who can be a handy bat down the order, for INR 1.2 crore. Their three other buys were all at base price of INR 10 lakh - the U-19 World Cup winner Joshitha VJ, batting all-rounder Raghvi Bist who's since made her India debut, and Mumbai spinner Jagravi Pawar.

Newsmaker(s): She spent her first year in WPL warming the bench at UPW and at the time of the trade-in, Wyatt-Hodge didn't seem like a sure-starter for RCB who had their opening pair set since the very first game of the competition. However, the many injuries and availability concerns around RCB's first-choice XI have bumped up her chances significantly and Wyatt-Hodge would be expected to hit the ground running. Meanwhile, Perry's arrival ahead of the team's departure for Vadodara was a much-needed breather for the beleaguered team.

Outlook:For all the world titles that captain Meg Lanning has clinched over the years, domestic titles have remained elusive for one of the greatest leaders in women's cricket. With Delhi Capitals too, it has been a case of so-near-yet-so-far for her for two seasons in a row; their comprehensive performances through the group stages not being of much help for them in the finals.

For arguably the best side in Women's Premier League's short history, 2025 presents yet another opportunity. This time, the captain and the coach are excited by the knowledge that they have not only strengthened their squad through some smart picks at the auctions, but the retained players have also turned up an improved version of themselves.

The question though is whether they can thread all these advantages together to go one step further in their conquest this time.

Where they finished in WPL 2024: Runners-up

Auction round-up: With a settled and well-rounded squad at their disposal, which has delivered fairly decent results in the last two seasons, there wasn't much reason for DC to tinker with it ahead of the third season. Not surprisingly, they weren't big spenders at the auctions, and yet made some wise picks. The most significant among those was the strengthening of the wicketkeeping option with the inclusion of Scotland's Sarah Bryce and the promising Indian 'keeper-batter Nandini Kashyap, both of whom could possibly give Taniya Bhatia a run for her place in the team. There were also other smart picks at base price, like Nikki Prasad and N Charani, but they are unlikely to find a place in the XI soon, unless there are injury concerns.

Newsmaker: The Associate pick, Sarah Bryce. Delhi Capitals, who were the first teams to take advantage of the overseas slot for an associate player, have done it again with the inclusion of the Scottish wicketkeeper-bat. She could have an important role to play in the otherwise fairly well-settled XI.