The fourth edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) kicks off on Friday, riding a wave of momentum from India's historic World Cup win last year. This season promises to showcase the most significant evolution in the women's game: a dramatic and sustained increase in power-hitting and sixes.
The Statistical Surge in Maximums
The numbers tell a compelling story. In the 2025 WPL season, a staggering 193 sixes were smashed across just 22 matches. This marks a sharp rise from the 159 maximums hit in the league's inaugural edition in 2023. This trend isn't confined to India. Australia's Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) witnessed a similar shift, with the rate of sixes accelerating from one every 44.9 balls in 2023 to one every 26.8 balls in 2025.
Australian legend Meg Lanning, a seven-time World Cup winner and now captain of UP Warriorz, identifies this as a pivotal change. "I think that's been a really big development in the game," Lanning stated. "I assume the six-hitting ability of each team has increased throughout each tournament and I think it will be the same again this year." She pointed to players like UP's Kiran Navgire, who blasted 16 sixes last season, as exemplars of this crucial modern skill.
Auction Dynamics Reflect the Power Play
The league's recent mega-auction clearly mirrored this strategic shift towards aggression. Franchises made bold choices, prioritizing explosive hitters and all-rounders over some established specialist batters. Notably, big names like England's Heather Knight, Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu, and even Australian captain Alyssa Healy went unsold.
Instead, teams chased power. A prime example is Jamaican all-rounder Chinelle Henry, who commanded a Rs 1.3 crore bid from Delhi Capitals. Henry topped the strike-rate charts last season at 196.38. She joins fellow aggressor Shafali Verma in Delhi; together, they hit 33 of the team's sixes in 2025, defining the franchise's batting philosophy.
The Crucial Call for Balance
However, seasoned campaigners warn against an over-reliance on pure power. South African all-rounder Marizanne Kapp, a Delhi Capitals stalwart, emphasized the need for a nuanced approach. "It (six-hitting) is very important, more so in T20 cricket," Kapp acknowledged. "But at the same time, you can't only have a batting lineup full of the hitters. You definitely need people around them who can support them through an innings and build. That balance is more important."
This season of the WPL, therefore, sets the stage for a fascinating contest between brute force and strategic batting. The franchises' big bets on power hitters will be tested under the spotlight, with the league serving as a key indicator for the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in England this July. The evolution of the women's game is accelerating, and the six-hitting spectacle is at the heart of it.
