'Cannot wait forever': Mithali Raj wants BCCI to start Women’s IPL by next year

Indian women cricketer Mithali Raj wants BCCI to not wait any longer and start the women’s IPL. She urged the board to make it happen by next year on a smaller scale before gradually developing it.

“I personally feel they should start a women’s IPL by next year, even if it’s on a slightly smaller scale and with some changes in rules, such as, say, have five to six foreign players in the first edition instead of four as is the case with the men’s IPL,” Raj told ESPNCricinfo.

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar too had called for a full-fledged women’s IPL from next year to unearth talent after India lost the T20 World Cup in the finals earlier this month.

In 2019, a three-team women’s tournament was held featuring sides called IPL Velocity, IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas. The BCCI had decided to organise a four-team women’s T20 challenge this year, but now things are on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India doesn’t have enough women cricketers to organize a full-fledged IPL, however, Raj believes it can still be conducted if existing franchises own teams to begin the process.

“I agree we don’t have the depth in the domestic pool yet, but the key is to get the existing franchises to form teams, even if (only) five or six of them are keen to begin the process because in any case, the

BCCI was going to have four teams,” she said.

“You cannot wait forever; you have to begin at some point, and gradually, year by year, you can keep evolving the league and then bring it down to four foreign players.”Raj also spoke about teen sensation Shafali Verma, who impressed at the T20 World Cup. Raj feels the young-gun should be included in the ODIs too.

“It’s not a bad idea to consider her for the ODIs. She is young but that should not be a criterion for not giving her opportunities in the ODI side,” she said.