Former India cricket captain Mithali Raj on Saturday has been appointed as the mentor and advisor of Team Gujarat Giants ahead of their inaugural season of the Women's Premier League (WPL). The tournament is set to take place in March-April this year.
The Ahmedabad franchise had emerged as the costliest of the five teams during the auction with the Adani Sportsline shelling out Rs 1289 crore. As a mentor of the side, the 40-year-old Mithali will also promote women's cricket and help develop the sport at the grassroots level in Gujarat.
Mithali said the new BCCI initiative will help women's cricket grow.
"The inaugural season of the Women's Premier League is a fantastic move for women's cricket and the involvement of the Adani Group is a massive boost for the sport as well," said Mithali on Saturday.
"Women's cricket is growing steadily, and this kind of impetus will undoubtedly encourage young women to consider taking up cricket professionally.
"I believe that the high-impact participation of corporates will help hasten the process of eventually bringing more glory to India.
Mithali retired last year from all formats after a 23-year-long career. She is the highest run-getter in women's international cricket.
"This level of influence can help strengthen the sporting ecosystem and enhance opportunities for women athletes," she added.
Adani Enterprises director Pranav Adani called Mithali a role model and hoped her presence will help attract new talent.
"Mithali Raj is a role model for the young generation and we are delighted to have such an inspirational athlete on board to mentor our women's cricket team," said Pranav.
"We believe that the presence of international sporting heroes like Mithali will attract new talent not just into cricket but also into every other sport and transform the professional sports ecosystem," he added.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently invited bids for acquiring the title sponsorship for the league. The Women's IPL, which will have 5 teams and is being hailed as a big step to take India's women's cricket to bigger heights. Releasing a statement on social media, India's cricket board stated, "BCCI announces the release of Request for Proposal for Title Sponsorship Rights for Women’s Premier League Seasons 2023-2027," BCCI wrote on Twitter.
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