“Very Big Gap”: Harmanpreet Kaur Opens Up On Pre-WPL Struggles In Women’s Cricket

Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur says Indian women's cricket long lacked a clear path from domestic to international level. She told the iQOO Quest Talk podcast there was a "very big gap" in standards, which made a smooth transition and quick adaptation very hard.

Harmanpreet said that before the Women's Premier League, domestic players struggled on the big stage. "Before WPL, it was not easy for a domestic player to adapt and settle quickly in the international circuit because of the lack of experience in big stage matches," she explained.

On the podcast with Nipun Marya, CEO, iQOO, Harmanpreet recalled long delays before the WPL launch. "The WPL conversation was going on for a long time, but for some reason, things were not moving forward, and that time we were feeling sad about why they were not trusting us," she said.

She said officials worried about squad depth. According to Harmanpreet, "the management was concerned about the low bench strength and if they could make teams based on the number of players we have," reflecting doubts over the number of ready domestic cricketers.

The launch of the WPL in 2023 started to change that view. Harmanpreet linked it with the Indian Premier League model. "We saw a lot of talent coming up through IPL, so we always thought once WPL starts, we will also get a lot of talented Indian players, which will help in making the bench strength strong," she said.

Harmanpreet feels the WPL is shaping player mindset as well as skills. "The Indian players coming from WPL have a totally different mindset, with well-planned routines that make them great professionals," she said, noting how league exposure now reflects on the international stage.