MUMBAI: The dominance of the all-conquering Australian women's team seems to be having its impact in the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League too. On Thursday, Australian women's team captain Meg Lanning became the third Australia player to lead a WPL team when the Delhi Capitals named the multiple World Cups-winning skipper as their captain ahead of the WPL.
Lanning's Aussie teammates Beth Mooney (Gujarat Giants) and Alyssa Healy (UP Warriorz) have already been named as the captains by their franchises. Indian women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians)and her deputy Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore) are the two Indian captains in the league.
At an event organised by the franchise here, DC named India's top-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues Lanning's deputy. Meg had recently led Australia to their third straight ICC Women's T20 World Cup title in South Africa when they beat the hosts by 19 runs in the final at Newlands, Cape Town last month. She is the first cricketer to lead a team in 100 T20Is in the women's game.
Lanning has captained Australia to four T20 World Cup wins-in 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2023-and the 2022 ODI World Cup title, apart from a gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She has played 132 T20Is, scoring 3405 runs with two centuries and 15 half-centuries at an average of 36.61 and strike rate of 116.37. Her ODI CV is glittering too-She has scored 15 hundreds and 21 half-centuries in the 50-over format. Lanning was snapped up for 11 million rupees ($133,000) by DC in the WPL auction.
"It's a very proud moment for me, firstly to be involved with Delhi Capitals and then to lead them. It's about enjoying yourself, getting the best out of yourself. WPL is a massive moment for the sport, it's the logical next step and makes a lot of sense. Cricket in India is people's lives and the fact that WPL is up and running, and to be involved in something like this, is amazing. It's only going to grow in the coming years," Lanning said.
We have got some great depth in our squad,” she added.
Delhi Capitals will be opening their WPL 2023 campaign on March 5 against RCB at the Brabourne Stadium.
‘WPL blessing in disguise’
Rodrigues said that the Indian team took some time before getting over their heart-breaking 5-run defeat at the hands of Australia in the Women's T20 World Cup semifinal at Capetown. "It has taken a while, honestly. We were in South Africa for two days after the semis. Everyone was not in a great headspace but coming here, being with the family for two days," Rodrigues said.
"Obviously it (the loss) keeps haunting us but at the same time the WPL is a blessing in disguise because directly we are into this tournament which will help us to keep our mind off the negative thoughts and those things that keep haunting us. (We will) keep working harder — that is how we can shift our focus," she added.
The India middle-order batter said that the gap between India and the mighty Australia when it came to women's cricket was narrowing, and would close down further with the arrival of WPL. "We have been pushing the doors for a very long time, we are getting there, we are getting very close, but I am sure the WPL will change a lot for women’s cricket. You will find many superstars coming out from it, many leaders, or many match winners I would say," she asserted.
