New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Virat Kohli believes the Women's Premier League (WPL) has transformed the landscape of women's cricket in India, saying the rising standard of players and packed stadiums across venues show how deeply the game has connected with fans.

Speaking on the RCB podcast, the veteran batter reflected on the visible growth of women's cricket and credited the WPL for accelerating the development of young Indian talent by exposing them regularly to high-pressure contests alongside the world's best players.

'I saw WPL in the past as well. But this time around, you look at the turnout of fans. There's a cricketer in me that can say, I can see the difference. But when the public starts seeing the difference, that's when you know the game has changed to a different degree,' Kohli said.

Highlighting the crowd support witnessed during the tournament, Kohli added, 'When they played in Baroda. Stadiums were packed. You look at Navi Mumbai. I mean, packed. I was like, man, this is amazing. When they played in Bangalore, phenomenal turnout.'

Kohli said the increasing fan engagement reflects how women's cricket has moved into a new phase in India, where spectators are now turning up in large numbers not merely out of curiosity, but because of the quality and excitement of the competition.

The former India captain also pointed to the rapid evolution in skill levels among young Indian players, particularly their fearless approach and power-hitting ability.

'The standard is going higher and higher. These younger players coming in, you know, they're faster. They're more explosive. They're more confident of executing their skills, of going for big shots. You look at talents like Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh,' he said.

Recalling his first impressions of Shafali's power-hitting during the Women's T20 World Cup in Australia, Kohli said he was stunned by her ability to clear the ropes with ease.

'It was the T20 World Cup in Australia, where we were playing as well. Shafali was batting in Perth, and she was hitting the ball in the stands. I was like, this is unreal. Like, the kind of power and the confidence,' he said.

Kohli also praised Richa's finishing abilities, comparing her impact to elite power-hitters in world cricket.

'And Richa as well. It's like any top-tier finisher or explosive batter in the game. I'm not just confining it to women's cricket. But the ability you can see is shining through,' Kohli added.

According to Kohli, the biggest contribution of the WPL has been the exposure Indian players now receive against elite international opposition in condensed, high-pressure situations.

'So, there are some amazing rays of standards that are happening in Indian cricket. And predominantly, I would say, a large contribution of that is the exposure to WPL,' he said.

Explaining further, Kohli said Indian players earlier had to wait months between international series to test themselves against overseas stars, but the WPL now offers those opportunities almost every game.

'You see the direct effects of WPL. The players share experiences with other global players. And the confidence of executing your plans, your abilities, your skills against those world-class players on a more regular basis. Rather than waiting for a series to series,' he said.

Kohli further added, 'You play with probably three players from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia on the same team. You probably have to wait for over six months to be able to face them. But now, you're getting to face them in one game. In one high-pressure game.'

Kohli emphasised that such an environment fast-tracks player development because cricketers are constantly challenged under pressure against the highest quality opposition.

'So, the progress is much faster. Because it's a compressed package of the best quality players in the world under high-pressure circumstances. Of course, it's going to bring the best out of players. And bring the ones that can handle pressure and have the skill up to the surface much faster,' he said.

He concluded by saying that players coming through franchise leagues like the WPL and IPL now arrive at the international level far more prepared than before.

'So, when people get selected from WPL or IPL, they feel like ready products,' Kohli said. (ANI)