Follow UsSmriti Mandhana, one of India’s biggest names in women's cricket, who will be part of the Maharashtra Women’s Premier League (WMPL), said that such leagues will benefit young women cricketers in coming up from the grassroots to a professional environment in a big way.
Mandhana, who has appeared in seven Tests, 102 ODIs and 148 T20Is for the Indian women at the international level, also talked about the importance of WPL scouts watching these leagues.
“For state associations, and for Maharashtra as well, to have this sort of platform—where there’ll be a lot of eyes from WPL scouts—and also, of course, these sorts of performances can serve as a benchmark for people to get into the state side as well,” Mandhana said in a press release by the WMPL.
“I always believe that franchise cricket brings a different sort of professionalism to the sport, and for the girls—the state-level girls—to experience that, I’m sure they’ll be well-prepared when they go to the next level,” she added.
Mandhana, 28, will be captaining the Ratnagiri Jets, one of the four teams in the competition alongside Solapur Smashers, Pune Warriors and Raigad Royals. She feels that as soon as the sport gets professional for women and starts generating revenue, it will become a viable career option for girls growing up.
“I feel for women's cricket to have this sort of stage is amazing, and the very fact that state associations and also the WPL—the way they have supported it—shows that, of course, women's cricket can generate revenues, which is an amazing thing for women's cricket. And people are ready to invest money in it. I mean, the more professional the sport gets, it's only going to get better, especially for grassroots-level cricketers,” she said.