This article originally appeared in The Field’s newsletter, Game Points, on March 20, 2024. Sign up here to get the newsletter directly delivered to your inbox every week.
On February 23, in the first match of the 2024 Women’s Premier League, Sajeevan Sajana strode out with the Mumbai Indians needing five off the final ball. One foot forward and she cleared the boundary with a power-packed six. As she roared in celebration, this single-ball effort was a sign of things to come for Indian players in the second edition of the cricket league.
In the next match between the UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bangalore the following day, veteran spinner Asha Sobhana became the first Indian bowler to pick up five wickets in an innings in the tournament, playing an instrumental role in Bangalore’s two-run win.
S Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Tanuja Kanwer, Shreyanka Patil and the familiar names of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma…this year’s WPL was more than just the glitz and glamour of overseas stars and their experience. It was about witnessing the depth of women’s cricket in India.
Take the Orange Cap (awarded for the most runs scored in the tournament) and Purple Cap (most wickets taken) lists, for example.
In 2023, there were only two Indians…
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