Though the Women’s Premier League is yet to expand with a new franchise, its fourth instalment has brought with it several new developments. For starters, WPL 2026 has witnessed scoring feats rarely seen in the competition so far. There have been eleven 180+ scores already this season, with three matches to spare, whereas the number was only eight in WPL 2025.
There has also been a couple of 'retired outs' — a tactical move we had witnessed in the Indian Premier League previously, but not in the WPL. That aside, fan engagement has also significantly enhanced, despite the ICC Men's T20I World Cup looming large.
Former Indian captain and expert Anjum Chopra believes India's World Cup triumph has had an influential role to play in fuelling the league’s growth. In an exclusive interaction with The Quint, she shares her views on all things WPL 2026.
We have seen an abundance of high scores in WPL 2026. Such figures, perhaps, are not often associated with women's cricket. What facilitated this change?
It's not about associating it with women’s cricket. It’s about the advancement and the growth of the game. That’s why all this change is happening. The game keeps evolving and the game keeps changing. Once upon a time, we didn’t even see scores of 200 in men’s cricket either, but it did reach there — that’s the growth of the game.
Obviously, the surfaces and pitches we play on are good. Whenever women’s cricket is played on good pitches, you will always see a good game of cricket and high-scoring affairs, just like men’s cricket. Power-hitting has now become part and parcel of training. Even in the World Cup, we were seeing close to 300-plus scores being made and chased. The players are the same, the conditions are the same, so the style of play is changing and improving — getting stronger, more powerful, with more shots played across the line. That’s the reason.
Gujarat Giants have been consistent underachievers in the first three seasons, but they have seemingly turned things around in a rather impressive fashion in WPL 2026. What is working well for them?
The starts they are getting are obviously very nice. Sophie Devine and Beth Mooney have been very good at the top. Their Indian talent has also started doing very well. Their strategies and style of play have always been impressive. They have reached the eliminator previously as well.
Now it’s about making sure they keep that momentum with them, and also find ways of defending the scores they are putting up on the board. All of that is working for them.
We have seen a couple of 'retired outs' this season — Ayushi Soni of Gujarat Giants and Harleen Deol of UP Warriorz. What is your opinion on this? Is it detrimental to a player's confidence?
It’s about asking the coaches and the players. I’m sitting at a distance and asking the same question, so I wouldn’t be able to understand that. If the format allows it and the coaches are using it for their own teams, then it’s their decision. It’s also between the coach and the player — what is communicated and what is discussed.
Of course, as a former cricketer, you could ask whether it takes a toll on someone’s confidence as well. I don’t know what the game plan was. They are saying it was discussed and that it was planned. So if it is discussed and planned, whether it is communicated or not communicated to the player is also that team’s decision and planning. If it is discussed and communicated, everybody knows about it. If it is not, then only those who are part of the think tank know about it. It’s a very personal decision of the team and the franchise — how they want to go about it.
Among the major reasons behind RCB's impeccable form this season is the performance of Nadine de Klerk, who has taken 15 wickets and has also chipped in with the bat. Prior to this season, she had only played a single WPL game. Are you surprised by her performances?
Nadine De Klerk has been a champion cricketer for a long time. It’s just that she is now managing to come into the scheme of things. She was with RCB earlier, then I think she moved to the Mumbai Indians, but consistently she was unable to get into the playing XI — obviously because of the four overseas players rule.
But yes, Nadine is a quality cricketer, and I’ve known that for a long time. I’ve interviewed her on my channel as well. She’s very light-hearted, has a great sense of humour, and is a fun cricketer to have around. Her doing well doesn’t surprise me at all — I know she’s a good cricketer. It was only a matter of time before her potential was realised, or unleashed. It’s also about timing and getting the right opportunity to showcase that. I think she did that very well in the recent World Cup, and now in T20 cricket she’s coming in and playing her role for her team as well.
Under Meg Lanning's captaincy, Delhi Capitals might not have ever won a title, but they were WPL's most consistent team. We have seen that consistency lacking in DC under Jemimah Rodrigues' captaincy. Do you think it has to do with the pressure of captaincy?
There’s no point comparing chapter one to chapter twenty of a book and then judging the growth. Meg Lanning's DC and Jemimah Rodrigues' DC should not be compared. You have to understand that she has just started captaincy. Obviously, she is leading players who have been in these roles earlier and are more experienced. So the result is not only the captain’s responsibility — everybody else in the team also has to contribute and carry it over the line. They have started playing good cricket, and that is very good to see.
They are a good side, led by a good cricketer. I’m sure she will learn very quickly on the job. Fortunately, she has led Mumbai, so she knows what captaincy is all about — it’s not new to her. But leading a franchise team and leading a state side are obviously different. It can only improve from here on and get better because of the vastness of the team. You are leading South Africans, West Indians, Australians — everyone is part of the side. She is a good player, and I just hope all of this works very well for her as a cricketer going forward.
Do you think fan engagement has increased in the WPL after India's ICC Women's World Cup triumph?
The WPL has always attracted good crowds and attendance — it’s always been nice. The attention on the women’s game will obviously keep growing, especially because we are world champions now. But the WPL in itself, from season one to the season four we’re in now, has shown very constant growth in terms of attendance and good crowds coming in. That’s what is expected as well.
With the growth of the game and the World Cup win, it obviously has had a huge impact on WPL. Even if people are not physically present at the ground, they are still keeping an eye on the game and watching it in whatever way they can. That engagement — I don’t have the numbers — but I’m assuming it has become better and increased.