New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS) BCCI President Mithun Manhas hailed the success of the recent WPL 2026 auction, saying that the league has significantly boosted the growth of women’s cricket in India in terms of handling distractions and being focused on doing the job well.

In the league’s first-ever mega auction held in New Delhi on Thursday, a total of 67 players were sold, including 23 overseas players, with all five teams spending Rs 40.8 crore. “Well, WPL has impacted Indian cricket a long way. I think domestic players are rubbing shoulders with international players. They now know how to handle the pressure situations,” said Manhas in a video posted by WPL on their ‘X’ account on Saturday.

“Earlier on, when a player used to play for the country and they used to see there were a lot of influences – like the crowd was there, a lot of attention they were getting, but now they’re used to it.

“Now they’re no more distracted with things like these. They focus on the job at hand and especially with the guidance of coaches and the scouting at every level,” he further stated.

He also feels WPL will help grow the women’s game further, especially in light of India’s win in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, and was left amazed by the level of dedication teams showed in picking the right players.

“Well, it will continue to grow because women’s cricket is on the rise and the kind of performances they have shown with the World Cup win, I’m sure things will keep on rising for Indian cricket and WPL.

“I think in the last three years, WPL has grown in leaps and bounds. I was there at the auction on Thursday. I saw what was happening, how involved the franchises were, the amount of planning that went through to pick players,” Manhas added.

He signed off by crediting Jay Shah, the current ICC Chairman and former BCCI Secretary, for playing a key role in the growth of women’s cricket in India. “The credit goes to Jay bhai, I think the secretary back then and now the ICC chair, for bringing in the pay parity and the WPL. I think he’s instrumental in the rise of women’s cricket.”

–IANS

nr/vi