WPL has led to 'really significant improvement' in Indian players, says Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning

Delhi Capitals skipper Meg Lanning felt the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has already had a big impact on women’s cricket in India despite just one season having been played so far and expected the league to only “get bigger every year”.

Lanning’s comments came on the eve of the opening fixture of the second season, in which the Capitals square off against defending champions Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru in which is a rematch of last year’s final.

The former Australia captain, who led the Southern Stars to five World Cup titles in both white-ball formats, has plied her trade for several franchise-based T20 leagues around the world and expects the WPL to scale even greater heights in the years to come.

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“There’s been some really significant improvement in the local Indian players from what I’ve seen so far. I think WPL has played a big role in that among other factors,” Lanning said in Bengaluru ahead of the WPL opening fixture between Delhi and Mumbai Indians on Friday.

“It’s (WPL) only going to get bigger every year. There are a lot of eyes on you as well. And for the Indian locals (players) in particular, it really gives them an opportunity to put their names up and perform well and then see where it goes from there.”

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Talking about their tournament opener against defending Mumbai, Lanning said the team balance has been pretty good after assembling a fine mix of Indian and overseas players.

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“Our preparation has been great. We’ve had a little bit more time this year to get together as a squad and there’s been some camps as well. We have had some match simulation as well to allow people out in the middle to get a little bit of a feel for what their role might be.

“It’s been a really smooth transition into the squad and everybody is really pumped to be able to kick off the tournament tomorrow (Friday) against Mumbai, which will be a great challenge,” said the Australian.

In that context, the 31-year-old said the addition of Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland has come at the right time.

“She’s really matured on and off the field in the past 12 months to become a really important part of any team that she plays in. But for us, she brings some real power with the bat and she can play multiple roles for us depending on game situation.

“But I think one of the biggest improvements in her game has been bowling and her ability to execute under pressure in the backend of the T20 innings, when it can be difficult as batters are going pretty hard. She (has) got a real understanding of what works and what does not work.”

The lone worry for the Capitals ahead of the WPL is the fitness of veteran Marizanne Kapp, who is recovering from an illness that she suffered during the recent series against Australia.

Lanning said the South African has been on the path to recovery.

“Yep, she’s looking good. She trained yesterday (Wednesday) and seems to be going pretty well. She’s here again tonight and we’ll train and all things going well. We expect her to be available to play tomorrow,” said Lanning.

With PTI inputs