“Like IPL Did For Men…”: India Star Smriti Mandhana On How WPL Is Changing Women’s Cricket | Cricket News

Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Smriti Mandhana said on Monday that the Women’s Premier League has changed the “conversations” surrounding women cricket and she hoped to see similar success stories in other disciplines. Mandhana had led the RCB to the WPL triumph last year, the team’s first title in franchise cricket. “We used to play in the Big Bash League etc even before the WPL, and everyone used to ask us when we would have our own league, and the WPL came and changed the conversations around women’s cricket,” Mandhana said during unveiling the report — Sports-Forward Nation.

The Mandhana-led RCB will eye title defence during the third season of the WPL, beginning from February 14.

“The IPL has done a lot for men’s cricket, and it’s like wow, the WPL can do something similarly to women’s cricket. Similarly, it will be inspiring to witness stories like these (WPL) coming from across other disciplines as well,” she added.

Rajesh Menon, the Chief Operating Officer of the RCB, said participation at grassroots level needed to be improved for the country to develop as a true blue sporing power.

“We need more involvement and investment at the grassroots level. But to be a champion nation in sport, we need to provide our athletes with the right environment for development. It requires right decisions by the stakeholders at the right time,” said Menon.

Mandhana was delighted to see the progress women’s sport has made in the country in the last few years, but she wanted more penetration at grass roots level.

“My ultimate dream is to see two women’s teams playing some gully sport and fully enjoying it. If that happens then we can say we have inspired girls to take up a sport and that will be a win for us in our life as sportspersons,” she noted. 

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