What IPL has done for men's cricket, WPL has just started to do that: Smriti Mandhana

New Delhi: India women's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana believes the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is beginning to replicate the same impact that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has had on men’s cricket in the country since its inception on this very day in 2008.

"For sure, in the last three years, we have seen the way WPL has grown as well, and the amount of girls coming out to watch WPL matches. I think 4-5 years back you would see a lot of guys watching games in the stands. But now I think we see a clear shift in a lot of even girls coming (to see games).

"Like, small girls (are) coming up to us as well, and saying that we aspire to be cricketers, which is a really nice thing. WPL for sure has played a major impact in terms of the way I think T20 cricket has reached, and the entertainment value it definitely gets. What IPL has done for men's cricket over the last 17 years, I am sure WPL has just started to do that," said Smriti to IANS on the sidelines of City Cricket Academy launch in Dubai, announced at a press conference hosted by Cricket Predicta, which marks a significant leap forward in grassroots cricket development in the UAE and beyond.

Since the WPL started in 2023, girls have increasingly enrolled in cricket academies in both major and smaller cities in India. Smriti, who also runs an academy in her hometown, Sangli, in Maharashtra, also described her plans for the player development programs at the newly launched academy in Dubai.

"We see a lot more involvement, not only in the cities where WPL teams are. It even comes from other cities that don't have WPL teams. But we see a lot of impact in the domestic circuit as well in terms of the way the girls want to build on their game so that they get a chance to play WPL or international cricket, which is great, " she said. (IANS)

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