High Time We Have A Women’s IPL: Virender Sehwag
May 16, 2017 at 8:09 PM
Former India opener Virender Sehwag feels it’s high that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initiate the female version of the Indian Premier League as well.
Ever since its inception ten years ago in 2008, the Indian Premier League has gone from strength to strength. India’s premier T20 tournament not only boasts of some of the biggest cricketers of the world featuring in it, but it has also done wonders for Indian cricket.
The likes of Ambati Rayudu, Sanju Samson, Yusuf Pathan, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah had caught the attention after performing well in this tournament, not to forget they have also gone on to play for the national team on the basis of their good performance in India’s premier T20.
The ongoing season is no different, as the likes of Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi and Basil Thampi have impressed one and all with their performances.
And now Sehwag wants the Indian cricket board to come up with a similar tournament for the women cricketers also. The swashbuckling opener took to Twitter to express his desire of seeing a tournament for the women in India on the lines of Australia’s women’s Big Bash League.
“I think it’s high time we have a Women’s IPL, just like they have Big Bash for women in Australia. Hope @BCCI gives this gift quickly,” Sehwag tweeted.
I think it's high time we have a Women's IPL ,just like they have Big Bash for women in Australia. Hope @BCCI gives this gift quickly. https://t.co/KODnb1WgHt
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) May 16, 2017
Sehwag is not the first person to urge the Indian cricket board to start an IPL for the women. Earlier, former Indian women cricketer Shantha Rangaswamy had also voiced her support for the same.
“We can have an IPL for women provided we widen the base for the girls. We have enough players to launch such a league. I think India should have taken the initiative when the IPL was started 10 years ago. It has turned out to be a grand concept with entertainment, glamour, name and fame, not to forget the money, making it an attractive tournament,” Rangaswamy had said in an interview with the Hindu.
Former England captain Charlotte Edwards and Australia captain Meg Lanning have also expressed their desire of seeing an IPL version of women’s cricket.