WPL 2026: launchpad for World Cup dream, says Smriti Mandhana

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana has emphasised the growing importance of the Women’s Premier League, suggesting that strong performances in the forthcoming season might propel young players into contention for India’s T20 World Cup selection later this year.

Speaking ahead of the 2017 WPL season at a joint pre-match media session with Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Mandhana emphasised that the league has turned into a key talent pipeline for Indian women’s cricket, particularly with a major ICC event approaching.

Smriti Mandhana made it plain that excellent performances are rarely overlooked by the selection.

According to her, players who consistently perform under duress in the T20 format place themselves squarely in the running for selection.

“If there is an exciting talent and someone has an extraordinary season, I am sure there will be a place in the T20 World Cup as well,” Mandhana said

However, the Indian opener also acknowledged that performance alone does not guarantee a spot, noting that team balance, roles, and combinations remain key considerations. Even so, she reiterated that sustained displays in the WPL significantly strengthen a player’s case.

“She (Harmanpreet) will second that. But again, it depends on where she will fit. The doors are never closed, and if you actually have a good WPL, especially in the T20 format, you always have a chance, particularly with the T20 World Cup coming up,” Mandhana said.

Mandhana further highlighted how the competition continues to push Indian players beyond their comfort zones, helping bridge the gap between domestic cricket and the international stage.

“Whenever we play for India, we always discuss how we want to be the best team in the world. Not for one or two tournaments, but for the whole year. Every WPL is just getting us closer to that,” she said.

Echoing those sentiments, Harmanpreet Kaur said the Indian team’s ambitions now extend beyond isolated success. The focus, she explained, is on sustained excellence across tournaments and formats, with a winning mindset becoming ingrained throughout the squad.

“We are not satisfied with just one World Cup. We have so much cricket coming up, and every time we go to the field, we want to go with the best mindset — that winning mindset”, Harmanpreet said.

Harmanpreet added that it was encouraging to see younger players adopting the same championship-driven outlook, a shift she credits largely to the competitive environment created by the IPL.

“It is good to see that not only us, but other players are also speaking about how we want to be champions all the time. That shows WPL has made a lot of impact,” Harmanpreet said.

With the Women’s T20 World Cup drawing closer, the upcoming WPL season is expected to be closely monitored by selectors. For India’s emerging talents, the tournament represents more than just a domestic league-it is a direct audition for the world’s biggest stage.