The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has made its mark on women’s cricket in India after just 2 seasons. While the tournament has had a good impact on the sport itself, it has also greatly influenced the way players are scouted.
As the WPL continues to develop craze, franchises are becoming more focused on identifying and developing domestic talent, especially from India's rich domestic players. Ahead of the 2025 auction, the teams are intensifying their efforts, ensuring a thorough process to discover and recruit skilled cricketers.
Once the five franchises confirmed their retentions for WPL 2025, they quickly moved to organise trials and camps to assess the talent they wished to target at the auction.
For example, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending champions, announced they would be holding multiple camps to evaluate players before creating a shortlist of those they would pursue at the auction in Bengaluru.
Same way, MI, the 2023 edition winners, hosted a camp in Mumbai where their head coach, Charlotte Edwards, and bowling coach Jhulan Goswami in attendance.
Both teams Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru were also spotted attending the recent U19 women’s tri-series between India A, India B, and South Africa, which took place in Pune.
During this series, the scouts were keen to observe players who performed well and had registered for the auction. Their presence underlined the increasing importance of such events in the scouting process for the WPL.
Nisarg Naik, a Mumbai-based cricket talent scout who has been involved in women’s cricket since 2021, shared his insights into the changes in the scouting process. Naik was among the first to recommend players to WPL franchises ahead of the inaugural season in 2023.
Reflecting on the differences between the first season and now, he noted that the scouting system has become far more sophisticated.
In 2023, teams were largely relying on their existing players and personal connections to identify potential players for the teams. As Naik explained, there was limited time for preparation, and data usage in scouting was minimal.
Information was often gathered through personal contacts within state associations, and players were identified based on basic scouting rather than detailed data analysis.
The situation has changed drastically for the upcoming season. Today, WPL teams have expanded their scouting efforts significantly. Each franchise now employs two or three dedicated scouts, meaning that across India, scouts are watching almost every domestic match.
This widespread scouting effort ensures that no talent goes unnoticed and enables franchises to make more informed decisions.
Several franchises, including UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants, held mid-year skills and conditioning camps for their domestic players after the 2024 WPL season. These camps have become an essential part of the process, as they provide teams with a chance to assess players in match simulations.
The camps focus on evaluating how a player performs under different conditions, such as how a finisher handles the pressure of needing to score quickly in the final overs, or how a bowler adapts to different match scenarios.
Technology has also become a key component in modern-day scouting. WPL teams are now using advanced tools and artificial intelligence to track player performance and identify emerging talent.
One such tool is Ludimos, an app used during the trials for the Delhi Capitals, and by other state associations as well. This app helps scouts analyse player statistics and compare performances across various metrics.
Despite the growing reliance on technology, Naik emphasises the importance of maintaining personal connections with players. His approach involves staying in close contact with scouts across the country and, importantly, interacting directly with the players.
Many players now send their videos to Naik, trusting him to assess their abilities and recommend them to the right teams.
Naik’s personal connections with domestic players have enabled him to build a strong network of talent that spans the entire country. He believes that this direct engagement with players is crucial in finding the best fit for each franchise.
His experience has made him a valuable asset to the WPL scouting ecosystem, as he understands the nuances of women’s cricket in India.
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