After years of anticipation, the BCCI finally granted female cricketers their own T20 league earlier this year, and the tournament will commence with great fanfare and celebration.
A new chapter in the history of Indian cricket will be written on Saturday, March 4th, when the Gujarat Giants take on the Mumbai Indians in the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) fixture at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium. After years of anticipation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally granted female cricketers their own T20 league earlier this year, and the tournament will commence with great fanfare and celebration.
The franchise owners of three teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) also own a team in the Women's Premier League (WPL). Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Delhi Capitals (DC) have been a staple of the IPL in every season and will be looking to make their mark in the WPL as well. With their vast experience in the IPL, these teams are sure to be a formidable force in the WPL.
Before the season, Royal Challengers Bangalore made an intriguing decision by bringing in tennis legend Sania Mirza as their mentor. The renowned athlete is one of the greatest players in her sport, yet she had never been associated with cricket in any capacity. When speaking to the players, Sania outlined her role to them and made it clear that she would not be able to provide any cricket-specific advice due to her lack of knowledge about the sport.
"First of all, it's such a pleasure to be part of RCB. I know nothing about cricket...not really. What I am gonna do? What I am gonna talk to the girls? For me, I am recently retired - last week actually - so I was like, what's my next step in life? My next step in life was to try and help women athletes around and in India or in any sport. To help with the mental aspect of things which I have been through in past 20 years," the tennis icon said.
"Somebody has anything to talk about, I am here. I can give you my number, even when I am not here, I am available on the phone. So, yeah we can have a chat and I am really excited to be part of it."
Smriti Mandhana-captained Royal Challengers Bangalore will launch their season against Delhi Capitals in a Sunday afternoon match on March 5th. Notable international stars such as Heather Knight, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Dane van Niekerk, Megan Schutt, Richa Ghosh, and Renuka Thakur are among the capped players in the RCB squad, promising an exciting and competitive match.
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 "Image Source: Twitter/RCBTweets")
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