Mithali Raj wants people to focus on the World Cup rather than talking about Women's IPL

For the past few years, the Women’s IPL has been a topic of discussion. There have been reports emerging that the tournament can soon become a reality, with some speculating that it could make its debut in 2022. However, for the Indian captain, Mithali Raj, the upcoming World Cup should be the utmost priority for now. 

The Indian team is one of the favorites in the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup slated to take place in New Zealand in March-April 2022. The tournament was originally supposed to be played in 2021 but was shifted because of the COVID pandemic. India had a fantastic campaign in the last edition in England and Wales when they lost the final at Lord’s against the hosts by just nine runs. 

The BCCI is the best judge of when the women’s IPL can be held: Mithali Raj

In a recent interaction with Cricket.com, Mithali expressed that she feels that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) will come up with the tournament when they feel it right. She explained that apart from having the tournament, there are many things which the board has to care about. Hence, she feels that the BCCI will get it done when the time is right. 

Explaining her point further, Mithali said, “Right now, I feel instead of talking about the IPL, it’s important that we focus on the World Cup as it’s a major event. At the moment it’s important for me to get the team prepared for the World Cup. If the team does well in the World Cup, then it will be a huge boost for the sport in the country and for the domestic players as well.”

The Indian captain, who has been part of the national team since 1999 will be hanging her boots after the mega event in New Zealand. Speaking further on the topic of women’s IPL, Mithali seemed hopeful for the tournament happening in the near future. She noted that the pool of domestic players has become large now, which has been something of a concern as far as conducting women’s IPL is concerned. 

“This season there is a huge difference in the domestic standards. The pool of players has increased based on how the domestic season has been conducted. Having the India-A, Emerging teams, Under-19 teams, the domestic structure is giving a platform for these players to perform,” Mithali added.