Ellyse Perry, one of Australia's premier all-rounders, believes in the potential impact of the Women's Indian Premier League (IPL) on the future of women's cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced a tender for the media rights of the Women's IPL for the 2023-2027 period, with the inaugural edition tentatively scheduled for March 2023. Perry, who has played in four T20Is against India, scoring 75 and 72 not out and taking two wickets, believes that the Women's IPL will be the "next frontier" for the women's game and will be held in "the spiritual home of cricket". She compared the potential impact of the tournament to that of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia and The Hundred in England.
Perry, who has not been a regular in the Australian T20I team since October 2021, said: "We've seen what the WBBL has done for women's cricket in Australia, the Hundred in England and the next step is the women's IPL in what is the spiritual home of cricket". She also praised the support of the Indian crowd during the T20I series, saying: "Never seen the crowd pull out their mobiles and turn on the flashlights and support a team like they did in the Indian innings. For me that's just amazing. The IPL is going to be amazing, tremendously".
All-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who scored 42 and took two wickets in Australia's seven-run win over India at the Brabourne Stadium, also commented on the importance of varying lengths in T20Is. She said: "I think every single pitch we have played on while here in India has been fantastic to play on. I just think it was really crucial what lengths you bowl. I know if you pitch it up, it's easier to hit straight down the ground. So I was just bowling it into the ground". Gardner added: "It's important to be able to mix up your lengths. I know T20 cricket is quite batter friendly and everyone just assumes that when you come to India there will be lot of spin, but in this format you don't expect much turn".
The Women's IPL has the potential to be a major milestone for women's cricket, providing top-level competition and increasing the visibility and profile of the sport. The tournament could also provide opportunities for international players to showcase their skills and potentially attract new sponsors and investment. The Women's Big Bash League and The Hundred have both been successful in growing the women's game and increasing its popularity, and the Women's IPL has the potential to do the same in India and beyond. It will be interesting to see the impact of the tournament when it launches in 2023.