Is The Time Ripe For BCCI To Launch IPL For Women?

While the BCCI is dilly-dallying with the idea of founding the Women’s IPL Twenty20 competition, Cricket Australia has not lost the opportunity to draft in eight Indian players for the ever so popular Women’s Big Bash League. The most exciting batter of recent times, India opener Shafali Verma and left arm spinner Radha Yadav will feature in the Sydney Sixers on Thursday, October 14. The Indians — apart from Shafali and Radha, the magnificent stroke player Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemima Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma — will earn decent Australian dollars, but what’s of importance is the players will get some experience of competitive cricket before the ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand in March-April 2022. There have been conflicting views on the need to start the IPL for women; some among the discerning believe India doesn’t have the talent pool to start one but is it not a good thought to start one when women’s cricket has a successful face in Smriti, who was in rollicking form in the pink ball Test against Australia at the Gold Coast. The BCCI should cash in on the opportunity that has presented itself now with a handful of young players showing the desire to embrace the sport.