The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will usher in a new era for women’s cricket by holding the first-ever T20 Mumbai Women’s League, which will kickstart at the iconic Wankhede Stadium from June 1, Monday. The inaugural T20 Mumbai Women’s League will feature three teams, SoBo Mumbai Falcons, Thane Sky Risers and Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs. In an exclusive interview with ‘The Perfect Voice’s representative Dev Dhurandhar, Prof. Dr Unmesh Khanwilkar, MCA Secretary, spoke about the League, its goals, preparations and MCA’s vision of building an inclusive and professionally driven platform for talent development with this League. Excerpts: What inspired MCA to launch the Women’s T20 Mumbai League? With Indian women winning the 50-over World Cup last year, there has been a huge interest towards women’s cricket. The popularity of women’s cricket has also gone up tremendously. Thanks to this, the young cricket playing girls have now started aspiring to represent India or play in the WPL. In this context, we thought this is an ideal time to launch our own Women’s T20 League. Mumbai has a rich and proud history in cricket. The MCA has always been a torch-bearer in Indian cricket. The T20 Mumbai League, played for men, is already in its fourth season. In women’s cricket too, Mumbai has a strong system with tournaments for various age groups, divisions and clubs. The Women’s T20 League should be seen as a welcome addition to this structure. How important is this tournament in MCA’s long-term plan for women’s cricket in Mumbai? The long-term plan is to strengthening Mumbai’s cricketing structure by creating a dedicated and competitive platform for women cricketers. We feel that the League will play a major role to realize this goal. The League will provide opportunities to several local club and grassroots players to showcase their talent. It also reflects the MCA’s commitment to building a sustainable pathway for women’s cricket, while creating opportunities for players to transition to higher levels of the game. We are confident that this platform will play a pivotal role in identifying, nurturing and elevating the next generation of cricketers while building on Mumbai’s rich cricketing legacy. Why was the decision taken to begin with only three teams in the inaugural edition? We didn’t want to just add numbers. In fact, six parties had shown interest to buy teams in the inaugural Women’s League and a total of 363 players participated in the auction. But we decided to go for three teams because we wanted to ensure the best quality and competition in the League. Of course, this is just the beginning and the decision about increasing the number of teams in the League will be taken in due course. Wouldn’t the League have helped Mumbai cricketers more, had it played before the WPL? Taking into account its busy domestic schedule, the BCCI has allocated a specific window to the state associations for holding their local tournaments and we had to conduct the League within that timeframe. However, I am sure that the performances in the League will not go unnoticed and players will be rewarded for their performances in next year’s WPL as well as in the Indian team. The advantage of holding the League at this time is we will see competitive cricket even at the fag end of the season. It will keep the players actively engaged throughout the season. What gap in the current women’s domestic structure does this League aim to fill? The League is expected to add more professionalism to women’s cricket in Mumbai. With franchisees running their teams, we hope that there will be specialized efforts to improve players’ performances as well as their overall development. While the money will give the girls financial security, it will also spur them to enhance their game. The live telecast of League matches is also expected to add the player appeal. How will this league help young women cricketers from Mumbai reach higher levels like state, Women’s Premier League, or the Indian team? Take the case of Ira Jadhav, who is being touted as a future star. (Ira grabbed attention after becoming the first Indian to score a triple century in U-19 cricket last year). She will get the chance to play with Sayali Satghare, who is playing with the Indian team. Senior players like Saima Thakore and Humairaa Kazi are also leading their teams. This will give the upcoming girls more opportunity to learn more from established players and improve their game. This experience will come in handy for them to achieve higher goals. Do you expect the League to become a scouting ground for WPL franchises? Definitely. Mumbai has always been a breeding ground for talented cricketers. So scouts and coaches of WPL franchises are bound to take notice of your good performances. The League will provide a platform to Mumbai girls to showcase their talent to these franchises. I would consider the League as a stepping stone to success for these girls. What was the response from team owners and sponsors during the bidding process? We received an encouraging response from team owners as six parties were interested in buying the teams. Sponsors also came forward in good numbers with Nuvama being the title sponsor. There are several associate sponsors too. What are MCA’s expectations in terms of crowd attendance and fan engagement in the first season? Mumbaikars are not only passionate about cricket, but they are also knowledgeable fans of the game. So we expect spectators in large numbers at the Wankhede Stadium during the League. The live telecast has also given fans more avenues to follow the League. As a part of the fan engagement initiative, we have taken several measures to ensure watching the League matches at an iconic venue like Wankhede Stadium is a memorable experience. We have formed a group of content creators and social media influencers in Mumbai to promote this League. At the stadium, there will be game zones, cultural activities for the spectators. So it will be a complete entertainment package for the fans.
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