Women's IPL is in a progression stage: Anjum Chopra

Over the last couple of years the conversation surrounding the need for a Women's Indian Premier League (WIPL) has gotten progressively louder after Harmanpreet Kaur led India to the semi-finals of the 2018 T20 World Cup before the runner-up finish in 2020. Anjum Chopra, former India captain, said the competition is in "a progression stage", with India needing to win a World Cup to bring about a more accellerated change.



“Women’s IPL is in a progression stage. From one game at the start, we had four last year in the Women’s T20 Challenge, and this time it was supposed to be seven. It has progressed,” Chopra told PTI. “If the women’s team had won the World Cup this year, the number of matches would have been more. There is a big difference between winners and runners-up.”



“A victory (in final of last T20 World Cup) would have been a complete generational shift in a much more progressional manner.”



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Although India lost in the final of this year's T20 World Cup against Australia, the tournament experienced record crowd and digital viewership numbers. Chopra, one of India's most prolific batters, credited the International Cricket Council for marketing the game increasingly well in recent times.



“ICC has bifurcated viewership numbers also very well for Indian audience,” she said. “To have 80,000 people watching the final that’s commendable. That definitely a boost."



When asked about the issue of pay disparity in Indian cricket, Chopra insisted that the women will have to win more to earn more.



“There is already pay parity in Australia. Because both teams have won the World Cups more than any other nations. If you start winning, then I am sure things will be different. It’s also about how much you are able to generate as a team," she said.



“I would say sky is the limit for them.”



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With cricket having been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of several big tournaments are under a cloud. There is chat about a potential delay in the men's T20 World Cup which could then have a knock on effect on the Women's ODI World Cup in New Zealand early next year.



However, Chopra is guarded in her predictions for now, saying the pandemic will change a lot of things for the sport no matter when things open up.



“It’s difficult to see, to gauge where sport will be after this. For sure it is not going to be where it was before. Even if it opens up tomorrow it couldn’t be the same.



“Can sports people can get back to work without worry? We don’t know when this is going to be under control,” she said.