Women’s Premier League lifts India’s long-overlooked female cricketers
Al Jazeera’s 101 East reports that India’s Women’s Premier League has brought new money and attention to female players since 2023.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
A new professional cricket league launched in 2023 has brought a level of money and attention previously absent from women’s cricket in India, according to Al Jazeera’s 101 East. The program says the Women’s Premier League is reshaping opportunities for female players in a country where cricket has long dominated public life but the women’s game received far less support.
Al Jazeera reports that India’s status as a major cricket nation did not translate for decades into comparable backing for women’s cricket at home. The broadcaster says that changed with the arrival of the Women’s Premier League, a competition it describes as a high-profile, multimillion-dollar force in the sport.
The WPL has delivered an unprecedented flow of funding into the women’s game, according to Al Jazeera. The report says that investment is enabling hundreds of young girls to pursue cricket in ways that were previously out of reach.
A league changes the path for young players
101 East examines the shift through three players at different stages of their careers. The program follows a star World Cup player, the youngest female cricketer to win a WPL contract, and a girl being assessed by scouts for the next season, according to Al Jazeera.
That range shows how the league is affecting both established players and those still trying to enter the professional ranks, the broadcaster reports. A World Cup win and the emergence of the WPL have combined to raise the profile of female cricketers, according to the program.
Al Jazeera says the change is not limited to elite athletes already known to fans. The report frames the WPL’s financial backing as a route for younger players to treat cricket as a serious ambition rather than a distant possibility.
From neglect to new investment
The Women’s Premier League was created in 2023, according to Al Jazeera. The broadcaster says its arrival marked a break from a long period in which women’s cricket in India was overlooked despite the country’s broader cricket power.
The report, published June 20, 2026, was presented as a 25-minute episode of 101 East. It focuses on how new money, visibility and scouting are affecting the lives of female cricketers in India.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.