Former BCCI secretary Sourav Ganguly has acknowledged the influence of Women’s Premier League and said since 2019, India’s women cricket team has progressed more than the men’s team.
He attended the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction in Mumbai on December 9.
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In statements made after the auction, Ganguly acknowledged the WPL’s remarkable impact on women’s cricket in India and forecast the league’s continued expansion. At the 2024 WPL auction, 30 players were bought for a grand total of Rs 12.75 crore.
“I am thrilled to see the progress made since the inaugural year of this massive tournament. We had been considering this for a while, but COVID-19 prevented it from happening. However, it did amazing things for women cricket players last year. The competition was excellent last year and will only get better,” he said.
Moreover, he said, “It is possible that since 2019, India’s women cricket team has progressed more than the men’s team. The men’s team has been outstanding every time.”
He also enumerated the group’s achievements from winning the Asia Cup to their remarkable World Cup performances and their runner-up position at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Among the many significant aspects that Ganguly emphasized were the formation of the Women’s Premier League, the presence of outstanding players like Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, and the outstanding team efforts during the international tour.
He said 16 of the 17 players in the Delhi Capital (DC) squad have played for their country, adding that the team will perform well in the upcoming Women’s Premier League.
“The coach wanted a Sutherland, Ashwani Kumari, and a keeper as well. We had talked about that during the auction, and we were successful. This year’s squad is an addition to the one that was strong last year. They think highly of her, and maybe we can perform as well as we did the previous year,” Ganguly added.