WPL 2023: "Among uncapped Indians, Saika Ishaque has impressed me the most" - Anjum Chopra

The inception of the Women's Premier League (WPL) has been the culmination of a long-standing demand.

For quite some time, cricketers and fans alike clamored for an IPL-style annual T20 tournament involving Indian franchises that would allow female cricketers to take the sport to the next level in the country.

The three-team Women's T20 Challenge, the precursor to the WPL, did play its part in unearthing new talent.

Yet, the need for a full-fledged tournament along the lines of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), The Hundred Women's Competition and the Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) was starkly felt whenever the Indian women's team choked in the knockouts of major tournaments.

The slip between the cup and the lip has been attributed to the Indian women's inexperience of playing frequently on the big stage, unlike their male counterparts for whom the glare and razzmatazz have now become staples.

This warranted the start of the women's IPL and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), after brooding over the idea for ages, brought it to fruition earlier this year, by means of the sale of the broadcast rights, the five franchises, and the first-ever WPL auction where 87 players were picked, including 30 overseas players.

The tournament, entering its third week, has already witnessed several high-scoring matches and influential performances. What, according to Anjum Chopra, have been the hits and misses of the WPL so far? Which uncapped Indian has impressed her the most? What is her opinion on the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) disastrous start to the tournament?

Chopra, a former Indian women's cricket captain, answered these questions and more in a recent chat with Sportskeeda. The former batter played 12 Tests, 127 ODIs and 18 T20Is and scored 3,645 international runs during her 17-year-long international career between 1995 and 2012.

Here are the excerpts:

---

Q: How do you see the absence of players like Alana King and Danielle Wyatt from the inaugural edition of the WPL?

Anjum Chopra: Someone will miss out. Franchises can only play four overseas players at a time, so there will be a limit to their signings.

Q: Only two of the five franchises started with regular Indian captains. Do you think there should be more Indian captains in the league?

Anjum Chopra: Yes, ideally.

Q: What, according to you, left RCB struggling at the start despite having such a star-studded team?

Anjum Chopra: They have been unable to win small moments in the matches so far. It’s a fast game, so coming from behind poses a challenge.

Q: Which uncapped Indian has impressed you the most?

Anjum Chopra: Saika Ishaque, without a doubt!

Q: Is it fair to say that Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are the strongest two sides in the tournament? Do you think they will be the two finalists?

Anjum Chopra: Mumbai at present looks the most sorted. Let’s wait for the second week of the league to end.

Q: Do you think the inaugural edition of the WPL should’ve had icon players like the inaugural edition of the IPL?

Anjum Chopra: The league has made a strong impact in this short space, and has got the crowds to come to the stadium to watch the matches too. I am very happy with the turnout.

Q: Ashleigh Gardner is earning more in a month than what Australian footballer Sam Kerr earns in a whole season with Chelsea, and almost ten times the amount of the highest salary in the The Hundred Women’s tournament. With the influx of so much money in the T20 format, is Women’s Test cricket in danger?

Anjum Chopra: This is the T20 format we are talking about. Women’s Test match cricket is a different ball game altogether.

Q: Bengal, despite having so many talented players, doesn’t have a WPL franchise. How important is it for Bengal to have a WPL franchise next season?

Anjum Chopra: You can only have limited teams. More teams might get depending on who wants which city.

Q: If you are given a choice between coaching a WPL franchise and being a broadcaster, what would you prefer?

Anjum Chopra: I am happy in my present space (laughs)!