Giant billboards showcasing female cricketers occupying pride of place anywhere in India is a rarity. Yet several outdoor advertisements, featuring the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Alyssa Healy, find shelter in places of prominence, railway stations included, in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. If the Women`s Premier League (WPL) is anything to go by, the sheer prominence the tournament has brought the women’s game in the country is unlike anything previously imagined. The jaw-dropping reach of the competition in its inaugural season has left an indelible impact on the world and the minds of little girls across the country in particular.

The past month saw a long-awaited breaking of the glass ceiling in the context of Indian women cricketers, who finally were blessed with an opportunity to claim franchise T20 riches just like the men did 15 years ago. Moreover, stadiums remained congested for the majority of the matches, as fans and certain self-proclaimed experts flocked to see the world’s top female cricketers go toe to toe, as the encounter varied wildly with unpredictable results. However, the road ahead is certainly a long one for the cash-rich tournament to cement its position as viable rather than a short-lived phenomenon.