Women’s cricket in India is becoming self-sustaining

Now we’re on our own,” says Mamatha Maben, former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, when you ask her about the Women’s Premier League opener even before a ball has been bowled. “I think we were all aspiring and hoping that women’s cricket would become self-sustaining. That’s the biggest takeaway from WPL. Now we are on our own in the sense that we have raised enough funds to keep the (women’s) game on our own. It’s an overwhelming feeling.”

When Mamatha says superior, she means that women no longer have to ask for “favors” from civil servants. They can “demand” whatever they want.

“BCCI’s investment over 10-15 years is now paying off,” Mamatha tells DHoS. “All these years it was in the form of investment because the women’s game wasn’t generating any revenue. I’m just so happy that they’ve finally broken through. Now it’s time to take the game to the grassroots and try and pump in more funds to grow the game over the next five to six years to the level it should.”

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Mamatha understands what it means to have an unsustainable career. She played her cricket when women’s cricket in India had few players, back in the mid-2000s. There were no eyeballs, so there was no income. It was difficult to continue as a player, and many talented ones quit the sport to choose a profitable job. Mamatha herself is one such example, taking up a sports journalist job for a few years in Bengaluru before returning to manage the Indian team.

For Mamatha, the already eye-popping income from the sale of WPL media broadcast rights and team bids was a pleasant surprise. And why not? Agreed, women’s cricket has attracted huge crowds at the turnstiles. Although India are yet to win an ICC title at the senior level, they have been one of the major powers, reaching the finals of the 2017 (50-over) World Cup, 2020 T20 World Cup and the Commonwealth Games last year. So there was hope that WPL would generate handsome revenue. But few expected it to surpass the men’s franchise leagues like The Hundred and Big Bash League.

Viacom18 paid Rs 951 crore to secure the media rights, while the sale of five franchises (Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Lucknow) fetched the Indian Cricket Board a barely believable Rs 4,670 crore!

Since the numbers were announced, players and stakeholders around the world have described the WPL as a “game changer” or a “revolution” in women’s cricket. Apparently, it is believed to make the world of difference to Indian women’s cricket.

Women cricketers are confident that the WPL will do something along the lines of the Indian Premier League for the men’s game in the country. While men’s cricket was already a financially secure career option even if a player did not make it to the international level, the IPL, through talent scouts from various franchises, also helped expose those who would have failed to make it to their respective state teams. adding talent. With the arrival of WPL, the ladies believe that the talent will not diminish.

“I myself have seen so many talented players leave just because they had to pursue a career,” Mamatha recalls. “Even in my playing career, many genuinely talented cricketers left the game because you couldn’t continue to pay from your own pocket. Even after the BCCI took over (the women’s game), it was just a skeleton crew, the cream of the crop. Someone playing in the state couldn’t help but give away a game point after.

“It’s not happening now, they have a right to earn a living. We’re not losing our talent like we used to. Secondly, many youngsters see it as a viable career option and help develop greater talent. . Even players who don’t make it to the national team through BCCI tournaments get a new way to showcase their talent and to get noticed,” he explains.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been one of the biggest advocates of a women’s league on the lines of the IPL and couldn’t be happier with the recent developments.

We have been waiting for this moment for a long time and finally its time has come. I look forward to it. We are going to get a huge amount of talent from this tournament,” Harmanpreet said on JioCinema.

Kaur says sharing a dressing room with top international players will do wonders for Indian cricketers. IPL has done it again for the young Indian men who are fearless on the biggest stages.

“Domestic players get to play with and against foreign players in many matches. We are really looking forward to it. Whenever we share a dressing room with foreign players, it is always very special for all of us. That is what all the domestic players look forward to,” Kaur added.

The Women’s T20 World Cup is underway in South Africa, but all eyes will be on Monday’s player auction, which will see 409 cricketers from around the world go under the WPL hammer. A landmark moment in the mainstreaming of women’s cricket if ever there was one.