Delhi, November 27 – At a press briefing, Delhi Capitals co‑owner Parth Jindal made clear that the club is committed to picking an Indian captain for the forthcoming Women’s Premier League season. Over the course of the recent auction, Delhi strengthened its line‑up with marquee signings such as Laura Wolvaardt, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee and budding talent Deeya Yadav, while also re‑acquiring left‑arm spinner N Sree Charani.
> “No, no, not at all. I think we are very clear that we would like to have an Indian as the captain. So, depending on who else we land, we already have our minds made up. But let’s see what happens, but I mean Laura will add a lot of leadership into the dressing room. But we are clear that we want to go with an Indian captain,” Jindal told journalists.
With Laura now on board, the team has a natural choice for skipper, moving on from Meg Lanning’s departure to the UP Warriors. Laura is expected to open the innings alongside the explosive Shafali Verma, and her experience as a top run‑getter at the recent World Cup should bring added authority to the locker room.
> “Obviously we went till what where we could go for Meg, but I think in Laura we’ve got a tremendous player who can fill in those shoes. Not only was she the highest run scorer in the recent World Cup, but she’s also someone who’s got leadership ability as well.”
The new squad also boasts a strengthened spin attack, with Sree Charani and Sneh Rana providing depth. Henry’s ability to bowl from the new ball adds an extra dimension, and the inclusion of Shafali, Nikki and other all‑rounders promises at least six potent bowling options. Jindal highlighted the depth and balance of the team, noting that Delhi has already reached three finals in the recent past and is ready for the next step.
He also reflected on the rapid growth of the WPL since its 2023 launch, citing the 446‑million spectators who tuned in for the 2025 ODI World Cup final as evidence of the sport’s expanding appeal.
> “Three years ago, all the owners took a leap of faith into the women’s game, and we’re so thrilled that we did that and for us when the bidding happened, we were very clear that this is a sport that is only going to go from strength to strength, and to see 446 million Indians watch the World Cup final – more people watched it than they watched the men’s T20 World Cup final live, it shows how far the game has come.”
He added that the World Cup victory in 2025 could be compared to India’s 1983 triumph in men’s cricket, emphasising how much interest the WPL is likely to attract this season, citing the high volume of questions he receives from fans about the auction and player retention.
> “I wrote it in one of my tweets as well that the World Cup win in 2025 is the 1983 moment for women’s cricket, and I think this season the interest in the WPL is going to be like it’s never been before. The number of people who even came up to me and asked me in my office or whenever I go out, say that ‘Hey, November 27 is the women’s auction. Who you guys going to get, and are you retaining Lanning? Why didn’t you retain Lanning? So many questions, which in the last three years never happened. So it just shows the kind of interest.”
Finally, Jindal expressed a desire for the WPL to adopt a home‑and‑away format, arguing that the current “caravan” style is practical but not ideal. He believes a longer window would be beneficial and anticipates that new teams will join in the near future, which would make a more traditional league structure sensible for fans, the game, and the league’s continued growth.
> “Yes, I think we would love to see the WPL in home and away format as well. This caravan format is okay, but it’s not ideal and I hope that and I’m sure that the BCCI is working on it. I think the amount of time that they get is very short and that’s why in order to fit the WPL within this window – this is the best and most ideal format.”
> “But I hope we get a bigger longer window for the WPL as well going forward. I think it is imminent that either one or two new teams will come in at some point and that’s why I think this cycle is such a short cycle with only two WPLs over 14 months. So I’m pretty sure that the BCCI is planning on adding a team, and maybe with that addition, we move home in a way that would be ideal for the fans, for the game and for the growth of the WPL.”
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