Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the upcoming season of the Women’s Premier League will be instrumental in India’s pursuit of their first T20 World Cup title.
This follows the women’s team’s recent triumph in the ODI World Cup.
Pathan asserts that participating in the WPL will provide Indian players with the necessary game time and confidence before the ICC tournament.
“Girls now play a lot more cricket, and that depth gives the team plenty of options, especially if injuries crop up, because you have ready-made backups. This current pool of players is something you simply didn’t see ten years ago,” Pathan said on JioStar.
“The biggest advantage is that the WPL comes right before the World Cup, so they go in with both game time and confidence. Winning a World Cup in one format and then shifting to another is not a big hurdle anymore, particularly with how much their power game has improved. If they adapt quickly to conditions in England, it really should not be very difficult for them,” he added.
Former India pacer Varun Aaron noted that the breakthrough ODI World Cup victory has removed a long-standing psychological barrier and instilled belief in the squad.
“Australia used to be India’s bogey team, but once the women got past them in that final and went on to win the title, it felt like a barrier had truly been broken. With that hurdle crossed, this group will feel they can achieve anything,” Aaron said.
“There is a lot of momentum around the team right now. The support from fans and the BCCI gives them a great chance to finally win a T20 World Cup, although Australia will definitely be hungry for revenge,” Aaron noted.
When IS WPL Starting?
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 will kick off on Friday, January 9, with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match at Navi Mumbai. The season will conclude with the final on February 5 in Vadodara.
Only two venues will host matches this season. The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will host the first 11 games, while the remaining 11 matches, including the Eliminator and the final, will be played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.