WPL 2026: In afterglow of World Cup triumph, Indian cricket will hope to unearth new gems

Under the Friday Night Lights of DY Patil Stadium, 68 days after the famous World Cup triumph at this very venue, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana will walk out to the middle once more, not as teammates and trusted leadership partners, but opposing captains.

The fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League promises to be more competitive than the previous versions, with teams having had the chance to reset at the mega auction. The league has already played a key role in elevating India’s top cricketers from competitors to winners but in the afterglow of becoming World Champions, the attention on Indian women’s cricket is bound to be higher than ever.

As was expected, the group of 16 cricketers who were part of the World Cup triumph have rightly enjoyed adulation across the country, and across multiple platforms. Most of them will be playing key roles for their respective franchises, but the real measure of WPL’s success will be seen in unearthing new names that can challenge the headliners.

In India’s World Cup-winning group, the two strongest examples of WPL providing indicators of potential were pacer Kranti Gaud and spinner Sree Charani. Delhi Capitals (and Meg Lanning) trusted Charani’s skills enough to play her in the final, and she soon went on to make her debut for India, eventually playing a key role in the title run. Kranti’s pace was a standout in her breakthrough season and she has been fast-tracked to be India’s No 1 pacer in no time. While India’s T20I core is largely set before this year’s World Cup in the United Kingdom, head coach Amol Muzumdar and selectors would love for a few more names to come up with performances that catch the eye. Competition, after all, breeds excellence.

“See, I think every season we have been giving credit to WPL. Because no doubt WPL played a very big role in improving women’s cricket,” Harmanpreet Kaur said at a Mumbai Indians pre-season event. “And even last year when we won the ICC trophy, there was a big impact. This season is also very important. And we have seen that all the teams have picked very exciting talent. Hopefully we will see more competition this season. And definitely that talent is going to help Indian cricket as well.”

Smriti Mandhana (left) and Harmanpreet Kaur during the Women’s Premier League press conference ahead of WPL 2026. (PHOTO: WPL via X)

Harmanpreet’s India deputy and RCB’s leader Smriti Mandhana – who has played a key role in building and rebuilding the squad after the disappointing first season – is equally excited to see who can knock the door down. “It’s always exciting to see talents coming up in WPL. So I would not ever say that the doors are always closed (to the senior team) and it’s not like no one is going to get anything out of this,” Mandhana said on the eve of the tournament opener against MI.

“I am sure if there is an exciting talent and someone has got what it takes, and has like an extraordinary season, there will be a place in the T20 World Cup as well. It depends on where the player will fit, but I am sure that the doors are never closed. I’m sure everyone knows that if you actually have a good WPL, especially in the T20 format, you always have a chance. Especially with the T20 World Cup coming up.”

Shreyanka Patil would be a good example of someone looking in from the outside, itching to have a good go this season. Having impressed in her brief international stints, injuries have stalled her progress in recent months, after missing out on WPL last year. RCB still had enough faith to retain her ahead of the mega auction.

G Kamalini and G Trisha – the former retained by MI and the latter signed up by UP Warriorz – are two U-19 World Cup winners whose talent is unquestionable and that will be met with opportunities. Vaishnavi Sharma, who was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and has impressed in the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka after making her debut, didn’t find a bidder at the mega auction but is also a side note to the powers that be that there is a potential to expand the league with at least one more team sooner rather than later. For 16-year-old Deeya Yadav, the chance to share the dressing room with her idol Shafali Verma is a golden chance to grow.

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The likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma are household names already and will be expected to perform key roles for their franchises. The reliance of overseas players is also likely to remain significant, with teams obviously paying a premium with hopes of getting a return on their investment. But the WPL’s true success story will be scripted when the rich talent prevalent in the domestic circuit shines at the grand stage in prime time under the floodlights.