West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry views the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL) season, starting later this week, as crucial for her preparation for the international season ahead.
In seven WPL matches
in 2025, she scored 163 runs at a strike rate close to 196, including a blistering 62, and took six wickets with her medium-pace bowling after being brought in as a replacement for UP Warriorz’s Alyssa Healy.
Her blend of explosive batting and useful bowling led to Delhi Capitals spending Rs 1.3 crore to secure her services in the players’ auction.
“This competition is definitely good preparation. There are a few of us here — myself, Deandra (Dottin) and Hayley (Mathews) — and it’s also a chance to cement our spots and give the selectors something to think about before the World Cup,” Henry was quoted as saying to PTI Videos.
“Being selected shows that the job I did last year was appreciated. This team has reached the final three times, so the goal is to go one step further.”
First glimpse of the Henry power in 💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/pSJmHvDiMk
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) January 5, 2026
Regarding her role with the team, Henry said conversations with captain Jemimah Rodrigues and the coaching staff have been clear and encouraging.
“They’ve told me not to change my game. I was brought in because of the type of player I am — whether it’s finishing games with the bat or contributing with the ball,” she said.
Henry, 30, stated that the environment at the Delhi Capitals has helped her settle quickly.
“It’s a big family. From the minute I got here, they made me feel comfortable,” she said, adding that the training camp has been focused on building combinations and refining roles ahead of the season.
She expressed the pain of missing out on the women’s ODI World Cup by the narrowest of margins.
“That (World Cup miss) was really painful for us,” she said.
“Being at home and watching while everyone else was in India playing was extremely hard. That’s a feeling we never want to have again,” she added.
West Indies failed to secure a place in the quadrennial ODI tournament despite a six-wicket win over Thailand, finishing with a net run rate just 0.013 behind Bangladesh in the World Cup Qualifiers. The Women in Maroon and Gold missed the quadrennial showpiece for the first time since 2000.
The disappointment, she said, has been a learning experience as West Indies prepare for the Women’s T20 World Cup in England later this year.
“We took a lot from that in terms of what we need to improve as a group and how we prepare better. This T20 World Cup is a big opportunity for us to show the work we’ve been doing back home,” Henry said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
