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2023 would go down in the history of women’s cricket as it was the year when the Women’s Premier League (WPL) was held for the first time. It also made famous women cricketers from all over the world celebrate Holi, the festival of colours. It's an important festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil.
Heather Knight, the captain of the England women’s cricket team celebrated Holi with her WPL colleagues with much gusto. Later, she posted a question on Twitter, “Anyone know how to get pink Holi powder out of blonde hair? Asking for a friend.”
Desi Twitter has always been of immense help whenever foreigners needed any help with Indian culture. This time was no different. The replies Heather Knight received were quite entertaining. In short, Knight received some epic replies.
While some berated her for not applying coconut oil before playing with colors at Holi, others stated that the colours would remain for a couple of days. A user named Payal Dhawan said the colours would take months to fade away.
A Twitter user advised her to apply coconut oil on her hair as it would be easier to wash off the colours before playing Holi. Some suggested using mixtures of olive oil and lemon juice to remove the colours.
Some even had a humorous take on it. A user named Lokesh Saini advised her to “use washing power Nirma” alluding to a famous jingle created as a part of an ad when television had first arrived. Another advised to shave off the coloured hair completely.
WPL matches and corresponding preparation times are a great place to bond for cricketers. It also provides an opportunity for the younger generation of cricketers to observe and interact with their seniors like Heather Knight and learn from them.
The first season of WPL held in 2023 has been a roaring success. While stadiums were fully packed, people at home were glued to their televisions. This is the reason why cricket experts have suggested that the WPL should adopt the ‘home and away’ format just like the IPL. For beginners, it's the format where some of the matches are played on the home pitch while others are played on the home pitch of the opponent.
A ‘home and away’ format would give the WPL a wider reach because the local fans of Heather Knight, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Ellyse Perry, and other international cricketers will get a chance to see them play.
If Heather Knight, who is a part of The Royal Challengers, Bangalore, starts playing regularly at Bangalore stadiums, she will form a strong relationship with the viewers. It will help to create a strong fan base for overseas players like her.
Heather Knight, the captain of England’s women’s cricket team, is quite simply, one of the best international cricketers. She has stated in countless interviews that playing in WPL has been an incredible experience for her. She has categorically mentioned the excitement and size of the spectators, television viewing statistics, and the subsequent commercial elements as high points of her WPL experience.
In India, cricket simply breaks through popular culture. It was the first time that cricketers of Heather Knight’s stature were experiencing the intensity of a tournament like WPL. Needless to say, Knight has had new personal experiences as well. The England captain was not the captain of RCB, which gave her new insights into how her England teammates might feel about uncertainty.
Often, cricketers after becoming captains, lose touch with how players might feel. So, tournaments like WPL provide players like Heather Knight an opportunity to gain new perspectives about managing a team as a whole. It helps them to relieve the pressure of performing and the whole experience of fighting to carve a place in the team.
It also helps cricketers forge strong relationships with their colleagues and fans through celebrations like Holi and subsequent interactions with their fans on social media platforms.
FAQs
When did Heather Knight celebrate Holi?
Heather Knight celebrated Holi with her teammates while playing in WPL in March 2023. The celebrations forged a better relationship among teammates.
Does WPL help cricketers improve their performance?
WPL provides the opportunity for cricketers like Heather Knight to focus on their performance to create their place in the team. It also teaches them to deal with different sorts of engagements within a limited time.
