FOR all the skepticism surrounding the first, separate, individual cricket league for women cricketers, the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has come as a groundbreaking moment. The first season has ended with a resounding success for the entire fraternity even as women cricketers are rejoicing the moment of their own identity in the collective thinking of the game’s fans. The tournament has laid down the roadmap for women’s cricket in India with its fine quality and competitive spirit. All that is needed now is consistency, higher quality and fierce will to fight from the eves to bring the WPL at par with any other cricket league in the world.

The tournament has shown what women can bring to the shortest format of the game. The WPL was full of thrills, shrills(!) and high-adrenaline action as women cricketers across the globe paraded their skills with aplomb for the last one month. Though the first edition comprised only five teams, the quality of cricket and the interest from fans, players, audience and sponsors proves that the WPL is set to grow bigger in the coming years.

Women’s cricket has managed a steady climb in India with great persistence and never-say-die attitude of the original dreamers and a steady line of practitioners. Despite being under the radar for a frustratingly long time, women

cricketers in India never thought of quitting and continued their struggle for attention. It came a few years ago as the cricket fans started noticing the so-called fairer sex dabbling into the men’s game with fantastic abilities. The recent successes of the Indian women’s team in top tournaments finds its root in those days of struggle which helped in

building a great and strong foundation for women’s cricket in the country. The WPL is a living example of what a collective dream can achieve if backed with dedication and unconditional worship. What the success of the WPL has done is widening the spread of the game across India. Cricket is a religion in the country, no doubt, but now it has broken the gender barrier and now the women’s game has found a springboard for a giant leap through the WPL.

The inaugural league had everything that a cricket lover wants, sensational innings, spectacular catches, outstanding spells and thrilling finishes. The most astonishing factor of the league was the level of play that went several notches up, much to the liking of the ardent fans of cricket. Action and drama, the prerequisites of Twenty20 cricket, were found in an abundant manner throughout the tournament. It kept the viewers’ interest intact and left a lot of cravings for more. The women are now in the ‘league of their own’. They must build a solid edifice on this wonderful foundation.