Cricket Association of Bengal to organise Bengal Women's T20 Blast from February 7

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) announced the draft for the inaugural Bengal Women's T20 Blast on Wednesday (February 2). The tournament, consisting six teams, will start on February 7 and conclude on February 23.



90 players were part of the draft for the club-based tournament. These players are divided into six teams- East Bengal, Rajasthan Club, Md Sporting, Town, Aryan, and Kalighat Club. The tournament will see participation from India internationals like Rumeli Dhar, Vanitha VR, Gouher Sultana and Sukanya Parida. Young opener Dhara Gujjar, who had an impressive domestic season during the Senior One Day Trophy, will also captain one of the clubs, with Mita Paul taking charge of the sixth side.



CAB President Avishek Dalmiya stressed the need to start such a competition. "We are very happy to resume our local tournaments, which were stalled because of the recent Covid-19 surge,” he said. “We have been contemplating over the last few years that club cricket in the women's segment must begin.”



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He also reiterated the Association’s commitment towards making the tournament a regular fixture. “We are extremely happy to start the tournament this year. It's not going to be a one-off tournament and we will be working keenly to make it better with each passing year,” he added.



Along with the international players, talented local players like Mita Paul and Dhara Gujjar will also feature in the competition. CAB Joint Secretary, Debabrata Das, was full of praise for the local talent. “Women's cricket is evolving, our girls have been performing really well and this tournament will only make the future of women's cricket better,” he said.



The Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani will host the entire tournament. All the matches will be livestreamed in India on FanCode.