The complete story of women's cricket in India — how the WPL changed everything, India's best women cricketers, and upcoming tournaments in 2026.
Women's cricket in India has undergone a transformation so dramatic in the past decade that it amounts to a complete reinvention of the sport at the grassroots level. From playing in front of near-empty grounds and receiving minimal media coverage, Indian women's cricketers now compete in front of full stadiums, earn professional contracts worth crore rupees, and are followed by tens of millions of fans on social media.
The catalyst for this transformation was a combination of factors — the Indian women's team's run to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup final in 2020, the BCCI's decision to launch the Women's Premier League in 2023, and the emergence of extraordinary talent like Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Deepti Sharma who gave fans compelling individual stories to follow.
The Women's Premier League was launched by the BCCI in March 2023 and immediately became the most valuable women's cricket tournament in the world. Five franchises were auctioned for a combined ₹4,669 crore — a figure that shocked even the most optimistic observers and sent a clear message that women's cricket had arrived as a commercial product.
The five WPL franchises are Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants, and UP Warriorz. Like the IPL, each team combines Indian and overseas players — bringing the world's best women cricketers to play on Indian soil for the first time.
The impact of the WPL on Indian women's cricket has been immediate and profound. Young girls who previously had limited professional role models in cricket now see India's best players earning life-changing contracts and playing in front of massive crowds. Registration in women's cricket academies has surged across India since 2023.
Smriti Mandhana is India's most decorated women's cricketer and one of the finest left-handed batters in world cricket. Her elegant strokeplay, particularly her cover drive and on drive, draw comparisons with the greatest male batters. She has won the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award multiple times and consistently tops the ICC ODI batting rankings. As Royal Challengers Bengaluru's marquee player in the WPL, she has been instrumental in growing the league's profile.
At the age of just 15, Shafali Verma became the youngest Indian woman to play international cricket. Her explosive opening batting — modelled on the most aggressive T20 openers of the men's game — immediately transformed India's white-ball approach. She was part of India's 2020 T20 World Cup final team and has since become one of the most exciting young cricketers in the world, male or female.
Deepti Sharma is India's most valuable women's all-rounder — an off-spin bowler who takes wickets at the top level and a batter capable of match-winning contributions in the middle order. Her disciplined bowling, fielding excellence, and batting composure make her India's most complete women's cricketer.
The 2026 calendar for Indian women's cricket includes the WPL Season 4, bilateral series against major nations, and ICC tournament qualifications. The Women's T20 World Cup is one of the most anticipated events in the women's game, and India — having reached the final in 2020 — are considered among the tournament favourites.
India's improvement in women's Test cricket is also noteworthy. The women's team now plays pink-ball Tests and receives significantly more investment in preparation and facilities than at any previous point in history. The gap between the men's and women's game in terms of resources and profile is closing rapidly.
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