Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli highlights the rise of women’s sports, the WPL’s impact, and the need for continued investment in infrastructure
Bengaluru, March 16 – Virat Kohli has hailed the transformation of women’s sports in India, crediting female athletes for driving change and revolutionizing the sporting ecosystem. Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, Kohli emphasized how the past 6-7 years have reshaped the perception of women’s sports, leading to greater commercial interest and infrastructural development.
“They were their own catalysts and put the attention onto them. I literally saw it happening in a time span of 6-7 years. The way they started playing, you could see that belief, and then people started engaging a lot,” Kohli remarked.
The former India captain noted how this surge in recognition has boosted sponsorships, increased financial investment, and paved the way for the Women’s Premier League (WPL)—now India’s second-biggest cricket event after the IPL.
WPL’s Success: A Game-Changer for Women’s Cricket
Kohli underlined the WPL’s pivotal role in shaping India’s sporting landscape, bringing visibility and financial backing to women’s cricket.
“Eventually, it got to a place where commercials became better, money was being infused into the women’s game, and then you have the WPL,” he said.
The WPL has significantly boosted the stature of women’s cricket, providing a global platform for female cricketers and making the sport more financially viable.
“Sports Culture Must Be Collective” – Kohli on the Bigger Picture
Kohli stressed that for any country to progress in sports, both men’s and women’s contributions must be valued equally.
“Looking at men to improve sport in any country—it has to be a collective. Sports culture includes everyone, and women’s sports is a massive part of it. We have so much data in women’s sports, not just cricket but all the others,” Kohli stated.
The cricketing icon acknowledged the rise of Indian women athletes across multiple disciplines, including badminton, tennis, wrestling, and boxing, while advocating for further infrastructure and funding to sustain this growth.
“We are creating individual activities over the year in tennis, badminton, wrestling, and boxing. It’s definitely heading in the right direction, but it needs more backing and more and more infrastructure to be developed,” he emphasized.
The Road Ahead for Women’s Sports in India
Kohli’s insights reflect the positive strides made in women’s sports, but also highlight the need for long-term investment to ensure continued progress. With the WPL’s success, rising female athletes, and increasing sponsorships, India stands on the brink of a new sporting era where women’s sports become as mainstream as their male counterparts.
As Kohli champions equal opportunities and infrastructure development, his words serve as a call to action for stakeholders to build on this momentum and make India a true sporting powerhouse.