It’s going to help a lot if we start a women’s T20 League, whatever it’s called: Smriti Mandhana

Women's CricZone Staff

17 Dec 2021

New Update

It’s going to help a lot if we start a women’s T20 League, whatever it’s called: Smriti Mandhana — Smriti Mandhana © Red Bull

Smriti Mandhana believes that having a domestic T20 franchise league can be beneficial for the further development of the Indian team. While explaining her point, the India batter highlighted how the Australian team has got stronger in the last few years due to the Big Bash League.

The Indian Premier League was one of the first of its kind when it was launched in 2008. Despite the growth of the game and the popularity of the format, India are yet to have a version for women’s cricket.

On the other hand, Big Bash League was started by Cricket Australia in 2011-12 with a men’s edition. But, in a few years time, the women’s edition was launched as well. Earlier this year, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) launched the Hundred, which had a men’s and women’s edition running simultaneously.

While speaking on the matter during the year-end round up, the Red Bull athlete Mandhana gave an example of Tahlia McGrath and her performance when the Indian team had toured Australia.

“Big Bash and The Hundred has been a big success for Australia and England. This is the seventh year for Big Bash and we have seen the kind of transformation and the kind of advantage the Aussie women’s team have because of Big Bash. Any young girl coming in, like in our series there was a girl called Tahlia McGrath came in,” Mandhana said.

“Everyone thought it was her second or third series. But she was a standout performer because she had six years of experience of Big Bash cricket and she was a top scorer for her team there. That experience made a lot of impact when she came into the team,” Mandhana said.

The elegant opening batter further went on to say that a women’s edition of the IPL would be fruitful for the Indian team. “I’m sure it’s going to help a lot if we start a women’s T20 League, like an IPL or women’s T20 challenge, whatever it’s called. BCCI is working on it,” the 25-year-old said.

India Smriti Mandhana