In less than 24 hours, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 season will be underway. With each passing year, the biggest women’s cricket franchise tournament grows bigger and bigger. A reason why the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the WPL stand apart is due to the fact that the domestic Indian talent matches international stars. Most leagues depend upon the foreign players they sign, but not the IPL or the WPL.
The overseas players get hefty sums. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) keeps on increasing the auction purse, rewarding players more with each passing season. However, as much as it has profited both parties, there have been some pitfalls as well. Some foreign players (in the IPL) have tried to game the system.
That’s why last year, the BCCI decided that they’ll place a 2-year ban on overseas players in the IPL who skip the tournament after getting bought at the previous auction without any legitimate reasons. The WPL 2025 season starts, and much like what happened in the IPL, some WPL foreign stars aren’t playing either.
Foreign stars pull out of WPL 2025
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women will suffer the most. They are to lose three players, one of whom (Sophie Molineux) played a major role in them lifting the WPL last season. UP Warriorz is losing one player, but that’s their captain Alyssa Healy.
| Player | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Kate Cross | RCB Women | Injury rehab |
| Sophie Devine | RCB Women | On a break |
| Sophie Molineux | RCB Women | Knee Injury |
| Alyssa Healy | UP Warriorz | Foot injury |
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Situation worth BCCI taking action?
The question is, will BCCI crack the whip on WPL foreign stars like they did last year in the IPL? Granted, most of the players mentioned are out injured, but one of the players is taking a break. This isn’t on the same level as the IPL 2024 exodus, where heaps of foreign cricketers, especially from England, didn’t travel or were pulled out by their boards. But the reason the number of omissions was so high was because the BCCI didn’t take any action before. Will the Indian board be more proactive this time around?
InsideSport had an exclusive chat with Anjum Chopra regarding the matter. The former India women’s cricket captain believes that right now, the WPL isn’t at that stage to take such a big action. Remember, we are just two seasons into the league. This will be the third edition. “WPL is a very nascent stage product (at this moment),” Anjum said.
She’s sure that the BCCI and the five franchises would have had a chat. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, and punishing any player due to it will be setting a wrong precedent.
“I’m sure also the franchises are aware of why that has happened (players pulling out). If somebody is out due to injury, they’re out due to injury. The franchises and the BCCI would have discussed this matter,” she added.
However, the BCCI can’t let the players do what they please. They have to ensure that cricketers treat WPL as a cash cow. A perfect balance has to be struck. The situation isn’t as severe as it was in the IPL, where the franchises complained to the BCCI, but things can’t be let out of hand.
“If it starts happening as a precedent, then obviously the BCCI will take a call on that. But right now it’s too early to come in and to know exactly why that happened,” Anjum added on the matter.
