WPL 2025 | Orange cap, red hot form: Ellyse Perry's love affair with Chinnaswamy stadium

With striking beauty, effortless grace, and an aura of quiet dominance, Ellyse Perry is more than just a cricketing icon—she’s a revolution in motion. The Australian all-rounder, a blend of sophistication and sheer power, has taken the Women’s Premier League (WPL) by storm, leading the Orange Cap race with 323 runs in seven innings. Whether she’s driving through covers with elegance or steaming in with the ball, Perry makes the game look effortlessly poetic.

Perryreflected on her incredible career, the explosive growth of women’s cricket, and the electric atmosphere at M Chinnaswamy Stadium—now a fortress for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) women’s team on theRCB Bold and Beyond podcast.

Perry’s love affair with Chinnaswamy began long before she wore RCB’s red and gold. “We went to the first-ever IPL match where Brendan McCullum smashed around 150 runs for KKR. I remember thinking that was the most insane thing ever. Now, to be on the same field, with a packed stadium so loud that we can’t even communicate—it’s incredible,” she recalls.

From being a wide-eyed fan in the stands to having thousands of voices chanting her name in the same venue, Perry’s journey has come full circle.

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Having made her international debut for Australia at just 17, Perry’s career has spanned nearly two decades, something few players achieve at the highest level.

The secret to her sustained excellence?Never stopping the learning process. “I think the ability to keep learning has been my biggest motivation. Every year, the game gets a little bigger, a little better, and that constant evolution keeps me going. The challenge of improving never gets old,” she shared.

Her insights into the mindset of young cricketers are fascinating. “It’s funny. When you’re just starting, everything is so new that you don’t even have time to overthink. You see young players come in, and it looks so easy for them because they have no expectations, no past experiences to draw from. They play with pure freedom,” she said, reminiscing about her early days in the sport.

'Women can now have full-time careers in cricket'

Perry has been a front-row witness to the transformation of women’s cricket. “When I first started, hardly any of our matches were televised. Maybe one or two a year, and they were just warm-ups for men’s games. The media narratives were always the same—questions about pay gaps, lack of attention, and limited opportunities. It felt like women’s cricket was always positioned as an afterthought.”

Fast forward to today, and the landscape has changed dramatically. “Now, every single match is covered. We have 30,000 people in the stadium every night. Women can now have full-time careers in cricket—not just as players, but as coaches, administrators, executives. It’s incredible to see.”

Since the inception of the WPL, Perry has naturally taken on a leadership role at RCB, guiding the team’s young stars and embracing the ever-growing competition.

“It’s been amazing to see the domestic talent coming through. Meeting young players—whether at RCB or other franchises—just shows how big this opportunity is for them.”

The rapid improvement in standards has also caught her eye. “Every season, I see more young girls coming through, and it’s honestly a bit scary! Every year I return, there are new faces pushing the level even higher. The quality of cricket is rising faster than ever.”

With her signature elegance and commanding presence, Ellyse Perry is shaping the future of the sport. Whether she’s charging in with the ball, or standing under the bright lights of Chinnaswamy as thousands chant her name, Perry remains the epitome of class, power, and cricketing excellence.