“Women’s cricket in Delhi is growing from strength to strength”: Rohan Jaitley, President, DDCA
The third season of the Women’s Delhi Premier League (DPL) gets underway on Thursday, marking another important step in the growth of women’s cricket in the capital. What began with a relatively small pool of players has evolved into a much broader ecosystem, with increasing participation, a deeper talent pool and stronger performances across age groups.When the Women’s DPL was introduced, around 80 players registered for the auction, with 78 players required to fill the four squads. Three seasons on, the landscape has expanded significantly, with Delhi’s domestic women’s cricket structure now featuring 48 club teams and a database of more than 700 players.
“The most encouraging aspect for us is that the growth of women’s cricket in Delhi is not limited to numbers. When we started the Women’s DPL, we wanted to create a platform where players could get regular competitive cricket and an opportunity to showcase themselves. Today, we are seeing a much larger pool of players coming through the system, and that tells us that the pathway is working,” Rohan Jaitley, President, Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), said.
DDCA also organises the DDCA Women’s League, where players get an opportunity to perform and showcase their talent. Based on their performances, promising players are shortlisted for the DPL auction, giving them an opportunity to be picked by DPL teams and take the next step in their cricketing journey.
The journey from the DDCA Women’s League to the DPL is giving players a clear pathway, and we are seeing more and more talented players come through that system. It is very encouraging to see how the league is helping strengthen the overall women’s cricket ecosystem in Delhi,” Shikha Kumar, Vice President, DDCA, said.The growth has also been reflected in the latest DPL auction, which saw a significantly larger pool of players putting their names forward, highlighting the increasing interest among women cricketers to compete at a higher level and use the league as a pathway to progress.The impact of the growing ecosystem is also being seen in performances on the field. Delhi’s senior women recently ended a 14-year wait for silverware by winning the 2025–26 Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, while the state’s younger players have also continued to make their presence felt, with Delhi finishing runners-up in the 2023–24 Women’s Under-23 T20 Trophy.
The DDCA Women’s League gives players the opportunity to perform, while the DPL gives them a bigger platform to showcase their ability. Our focus is to keep strengthening this pathway so that more players can progress and represent Delhi at the highest level,” Ashok Sharma, Secretary, DDCA, said.With Season 3 beginning today, the DDCA President believes the progress made so far is only the beginning of a much larger journey for women’s cricket in the capital.The objective is to continue expanding the ecosystem, provide more women cricketers with meaningful opportunities, and create an environment where the next generation of Delhi players can aspire to play at the highest level. Season 3 is another important step in that direction,” Jaitley concluded.
