'My game would never have grown this way' – Kapp on WPL's impact

When Marizanne Kapp speaks about the Women's Premier League, she does so as a witness to its consequences. The South Africa allrounder believes the WPL has marked a decisive shift in women's cricket, altering not just opportunity but expectation.

For Kapp, the impact of the WPL is already visible at the very top of the game. "People don't always understand how important these leagues are for women's cricket," she said. "You saw now India won their first women's World Cup in a very long time. That already shows you what an impact it's had."

The league's influence, Kapp insists, cannot be measured purely through broadcast numbers or packed stadiums. Its true value lies in what it does to players. "On a personal level, my game would never have grown the way it has if it wasn't for these leagues," she said. "Even when you look at the youngsters coming through now, a lot of that is thanks to leagues like the WPL."

Having played across franchise tournaments globally, Kapp explained what sets the WPL apart. The distinction lies in how quickly the league has accelerated the growth of domestic players.

"If you look at the WPL, the first year was probably mainly your internationals and Indian international players performing," she observed. "But from years two and three, you could already see a much bigger impact from the domestic players. That's the beauty of these leagues. Once these youngsters start playing with international cricketers and realise they can perform against the best in the world, it gives them a completely different level of confidence."

That confidence has flourished in environments like Delhi Capitals, where Kapp believes continuity and culture have been central to sustained success. Despite losing three finals, she rejects the idea that the team struggles under pressure. "Every single game you go into, there's pressure. I feel like we've done so well over the past three years."

The transition in leadership this season, with Jemimah Rodrigues taking over from Meg Lanning, is another example of the WPL's evolving landscape. Kapp did not downplay Lanning's absence. "Losing Meg as a captain is obviously a big thing. She's a very successful captain."

But she was equally clear about Rodrigues' credentials. "I actually said a couple of years ago that Jemimah should be India's next captain. She's always been a leader. Her personality, the way she brings people together, the caring factor, that all matters. Jemimah has a lot of senior players around her, and I think she'll take this opportunity with both hands."

For Kapp, the WPL's greatest contribution lies in its ability to normalise high-performance environments for women cricketers. "The more you play T20 cricket, the more you learn about yourself. Every league, every wicket teaches you something new."

From a skills perspective, Kapp feels her time in the WPL has shaped her evolution, particularly as a batter. "Probably the aggressive nature within my batting. Because of my role and where I come in, I don't always get much time to bat, so you almost have to make every ball count. The way my entry point within games has changed has allowed me to come in and be a bit more aggressive, and that's definitely an area where I feel I've improved."

That blend of exposure, pressure and accelerated learning is, in Kapp's view, where the WPL's lasting value lies. "With T20 cricket, even me at 36 years of age, I'm still learning a lot about myself," she said, underlining how the league continues to challenge players at every stage of their careers.