For so many years, they have seen the boys shining in the IPL but now it’s their time, finally. It has taken a long time coming but the Women’s Premier League (WPL), starting Saturday, presents them with an opportunity to make the stage their very own; to shine as they once dreamt about.
For 87 women cricketers from 7 nationalities, this is their moment of reckoning.
‘Shakti’ derived from ‘shak’ in Sanskrit, which means ‘to be able’, supreme deity for some, is the mascot of the league. The rap song composed by the broadcasters shows a young girl taking up the challenge with a ‘abhi batati hu’ (I’ll show you) line. ‘Ladna sweekar hai’ (ready to fight) declares the league anthem. And where are all the battle cries leading them? To the cricket, of course.
But this cricket is fundamentally different from what any of them have played before for one simple reason -- the money. Jemimah Rodrigues is going to be paid nearly 22 times for three weeks' play than what she makes annually, playing for India. Richa Ghosh, 19 times more. Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner and England’s Natalie Sciver are in a similar boat. The pay scales are unheard of in women’s cricket.
The money, though, is only part of the equation. Fresh off leading Australia to another World Cup title, Meg Lanning said, “I just want to play.” Shafali Verma unknowingly quotes The Gita when asked if she wanted more money, “Jo kismat main hai, utna hi milta hai’ (you get only what’s destined for you).
{{/usCountry}}The money, though, is only part of the equation. Fresh off leading Australia to another World Cup title, Meg Lanning said, “I just want to play.” Shafali Verma unknowingly quotes The Gita when asked if she wanted more money, “Jo kismat main hai, utna hi milta hai’ (you get only what’s destined for you).
{{/usCountry}}That’s also what the coaches will advise them. Yet, it may just take a little getting used to. Like, for uncapped Australian Laura Harris. “This is a different challenge to anything I have had to deal with. It’s definitely about embracing the chaos,” she said on sidelines of a Delhi Capitals media event in a room crowded by TV cameras.
She added: “Some of the girls’ English isn’t great and obviously my Hindi is terrible. So there is a bit of a communication barrier that we are working through. It’s been a wild week, but it’s about getting on board and enjoying the ride. A lot of people would wish to be in our shoes.”
As many as 1525 aspirants had registered for the auction. But the five franchises had only a squad limit of 90 to play with.
Three of the franchise owners have existing IPL teams. They know the drill and are drumming up support on social media. The two new entrants include Gujarat Giants who paid a whopping ₹1289 crores, are catching up with the promotions game through team mentor and India legend Raj.
Not having a home venue to spread the word is a limiting factor this year. But “that’s ok for the first year” a franchise official said. “It saves us on operational expenses.”
That leaves the BCCI, comfortably placed with broadcast and sponsorship money – over ₹1000 crores for 5 years – with the challenge of generating on-ground interest.
THE CROWD FACTOR
All efforts are being made to pack the two stadiums – Brabourne in Mumbai and DY Patil in Navi Mumbai, with fans. To begin with, spectators may just be curious, but the hope is they will take to the competition as they did with IPL, sooner rather than later. Entry for women is free. Tickets are being sold cheap, around ₹100 – that’s what it takes to buy a cola during IPL matches.
“We are confident fans will come. We had packed stands at the DY Patil stadium for the recent India-Australia women's matches,” said IPL Governing Council Chairman Arun Dhumal. Although 22 consecutive matches in one city could lead to boredom, it’s down to the players to raise the game.
RAISING INDIA’S GAME
For the Indian team, the league presents a perfect opportunity to get over the recent T20 World Cup defeat. "Obviously it (the semi-final loss) keeps haunting us but at the same time the WPL is a blessing in disguise because we are directly into this tournament, which will help us keep our mind off the negative thoughts,” Rodrigues said.
The big hope is that the league will narrow the gap, at the international level, between serial winners Australia and India. For the belligerent Verma, a regular dose of T20 cricket with the best players in the business can only help her improve. At another level, it will give many athletes a reason to take up the sport and stick to it.
“Shafali is an incredible talent and has already played some incredible cricket. A lot of the understanding of the game and having a big impact comes with experience. She’s getting that,” said Lanning. “I can’t wait to stand at the other end and watch her whack other teams out of the park, instead of standing on the field, which I have for a few years.”
Gujarat Giants take on Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener in Navi Mumbai. MI may have a cabinet stacked with IPL trophies, but everyone’s starting on an equal footing in the WPL. For DC and RCB, the women have a chance of laying their hands on the trophy first, something their men’s teams have failed to do for 15 years.