WPL 2024: Anjum Chopra — WPL Will Propel Women’s Cricket to a Bigger Audience

The second season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is going on in full swing, delivering an exciting display of thrilling contests, remarkable performances and some heartbreaking losses. At the forefront of the points table stand the powerhouse Delhi Capitals, under the leadership of Meg Lanning, while Beth Mooney's Gujarat Giants languish at the bottom.

In an interview with The Quint, former India captain and one of the commentators in the ongoing tournament, Anjum Chopra shared insights on the burgeoning growth of women's cricket, highlighted promising emerging homegrown talents, and delved into various aspects of the competition.

Here are the excerpts:

What do you make of the tournament so far? How is it different from the first edition?

It's been nice, it's been very good. We had season one, it was all about how the tournament would pan out. There were questions. There were concerns as well. But it was very good. Coming into season two, it has shown that there is certainly improvement in players; the standard as well hasn't gone down at all. It's just become better. It's been nice and entertaining.

Which player has impressed you the most so far?

It's not just about one player. There are a lot of players, especially from Indian origin starting from Richa Ghosh to Renuka Singh Thakur, Shweta Sehrawat to Yastika Bhatia. Of course the senior players like Harmanpreet (Kaur) and Smriti (Mandhana). In this tournament, Deepti Sharma has evolved. There's more Indian participation in the team's winnings, not just foreign recruits, so that way it has helped.

Gujarat Giants are yet to record their first win of the season. Where do you think they are lacking? What advice would you give them?

I think they know what's happened. They know they have experienced players in the dressing room and dugout as well. It's just that they haven't got off the start as they would have liked. There are concerns I'm sure, they're also trying to figure out how best it can be solved. But at this point of time, it looks like they are just one win away. If one win happens for them, then you know the ball can start rolling for them. So once that win comes, then everything else can start falling into place for them.

Alyssa Healy hasn’t looked her best so far with the bat? How do you analyse her performance?

I wouldn't be too concerned about  Alyssa really not looking our best because we're just used to seeing Alyssa really thrash the bowlers and take the game away from them. It's just that that good touch hasn't gone up. I won't say that she's not in her best rhythm.

Which captain do you think has been able to utilise their players the most?

Everyone. Gujarat haven't really got off to the tournament with their wins. But other than that, I feel UPW are utilising the players well, with the resources that they have. RCB also rotated around when needed. Mumbai and Delhi don't need to change much things around because they're a pretty settled unit.

Which uncapped Indian do you think has a bright future? Somebody who you think is ready for the national side?

When you say that you're prepared for the Indian team? I don't think any player is that prepared for the Indian team until unless you're given an opportunity and our domestic structure is strong, but not as strong as we compare if we compare it to the men’s team, but even then, I am just looking at players who have the potential right now and probably have taken a step ahead from where a lot more players started their innings to where they have started there. Yeah, there are a few players around the radar but I will say that there is work in progress for all of them to step up and be where they are or they will want to be.

Women’s cricket has seen a significant rise in terms of popularity over the years. How do you think WPL has contributed to it?

WPL has obviously improved the fact that more Indian people are coming to the ground to watch the game. That's an example of how the sport has grown. WPL provides the attention towards the women's game for so many people who have just been watching these players on television over the past few years. Tournaments like WPL will propel the women's cricket in the world to a much better stage and a better and a bigger audience.

There's a significant rise in the number of people turning up for WPL matches this year from last year but stadiums are still not jam packed? What do you think can change this?

I'll just take the better part of it, even if it's not jampacked, even if it's 80%, or 70%, I'll still take it any day. Because it's not a negative thing, the number of people who are coming, I will actually look at them. Because that's more important. It's the number that is growing that is a happier number for me to look at. 

Which two teams do you see as finalists? What’s your early prediction for the winner?

Mumbai is one team, you definitely feel that they can get to the top easily, RCB is looking very good outfit. I will never say Alyssa Healy and company can go out of this picture at all.