The IPL has cracked open a new chapter for women’s cricket—and it’s only getting bigger from here. While the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is still young, the influence of the IPL on the women’s game is already massive.
Here’s how the IPL (and now WPL) is helping women’s cricket grow:
💥 1. Visibility Like Never Before
Before: Women’s cricket was under-promoted and under-televised.
After WPL: Prime-time broadcasts, high-quality production, and packed stadiums.
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Women cricketers now share the same stage, production value, and eyeballs as men.
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Social media buzz, highlight reels, memes—it’s all mainstream now.
If you can see it, you can be it.
💰 2. Professionalism & Financial Security
The WPL brings the IPL-level auction system to women’s cricket.
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Players like Smriti Mandhana, Ash Gardner, and Nat Sciver-Brunt earned crores.
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Domestic players too are earning more in one WPL season than an entire year of national contracts.
Money = motivation + independence + longevity.
🌍 3. Global Talent Sharing One Dressing Room
Just like the IPL brought legends together, the WPL is now doing the same.
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Indian players now train and play alongside the likes of Alyssa Healy, Sophie Devine, and Meg Lanning.
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This cross-pollination of skills, tactics, and mindset is speeding up development like never before.
Imagine a 20-year-old sharing a dugout with a World Cup winner—game-changing.
🧠 4. Tactical & Fitness Standards Rising
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With elite coaching staff, support teams, and world-class analysis, the women's game is becoming faster, sharper, and more strategic.
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Players are learning the nuances of match-ups, death bowling, power-hitting, and field placements.
WPL is the best finishing school for women cricketers.
👧 5. Inspiring the Next Generation
Just like Dhoni and Kohli inspired millions, now young girls see Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur as role models.
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With the WPL on TV and trending, more young girls are picking up the bat and ball.
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Grassroots academies and state boards are ramping up women’s programs.
A league like WPL plants dreams in the minds of millions.
📈 6. Paving the Way for Global Leagues
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WPL’s success is prompting other nations to start their own women's T20 leagues (like The Hundred Women's, WCPL).
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Players are now full-time pros, not part-time cricketers.
The IPL model is now powering a global women’s T20 ecosystem.
🤝 7. Corporate Backing and Franchise Muscle
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WPL franchises are backed by top IPL teams like MI, DC, RCB.
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That means better branding, marketing, facilities, sponsorships, and reach.
Women’s cricket is no longer an afterthought—it’s a core part of the brand.
🔚 Final Take:
The IPL didn’t just open the door for women’s cricket—it blew it wide open.
Through the WPL, the same formula that made men’s cricket explode—money, visibility, role models, and elite competition—is now supercharging the women’s game.