Women's T20 Challenge in UAE a great opportunity, say former players

Dubai - This year's edition in the UAE is likely to see four teams and seven matches

Former India players Anjum Chopra and Anju Jain have welcomed the BCCI decision to stage the Women's T20 Challenge in the UAE this year.
The third edition of the Women's T20 Challenge, also known as the women's IPL, will be staged from November 1 to November 10, Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, announced on Sunday.
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) scheduled to be staged in the UAE from September 19 to November 10, the women's tournament is going to add more colour to what promises to be a memorable cricket festival in these shores.
Having the women's IPL had long been a demand of the Indian players and the BCCI finally set the ball rolling in 2018 with an exhibition match between IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas.
The world's richest cricket board then staged a three-team tournament in 2019 that saw four matches.
Now this year's edition in the UAE is likely to see three teams and four matches.
"This year the event was supposed to be held in Jaipur in the month of May, but it got delayed because of the pandemic," Chopra told Khaleej Times on Sunday.
"Every year, there has been an increase in the number of matches and the teams. So it's a progression from each year, I won't say it's a fast or slow progression, but it's a progression. I think it's very good and positive thing. It's obviously a nice progression."
And Jain, the former Indian wicketkeeper, said the tournament in the UAE would give the Indian players the best chance to prepare for next year's 50-over World Cup in New Zealand.
"It's a great opportunity for the players. I think they should start their preparations for the World Cup. So this tournament is definitely going to help the team a lot," Jain told Khaleej Times.
While it remains to be seen if the third edition of the women's event will see foreign players, Jain hopes India will soon expand the Women's T20 Challenge to give Australia's Women's Big Bash League a run for its money.
"The response was good last year, this year we were hoping the response would be much bigger, especially after the girls' performance in the T20 World Cup in Australia," said Jain referring to India's runners-up finish in the T20 World Cup this year.
"We are hoping that in one or two years' time, it should (reach the Big Bash level) because the kind of performance the girls are giving, it's been tremendous. So if it happens as soon as possible that would be the best thing for women's cricket in India."
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com