Overview
- Harmanpreet Kaur’s India face South Africa at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Sunday in the tournament decider.
- Shantha Rangaswamy and Nutan Gavaskar describe earlier decades of unreserved train travel, dormitory floors, scarce equipment and shared bats.
- Funding was so limited that tours sometimes relied on individual help, with contributions cited from actor Mandira Bedi and Air India.
- The WPL’s 2023 debut and BCCI policies, including equal match fees, have broadened opportunities and visibility, though gaps in annual contract parity persist.
- The team regrouped after three group-stage defeats and beat seven-time champion Australia in the semi-final to reach the title match.