Bhubaneswar: Two women cricketers from Odisha have been selected to play for the women’s T20 Challenge cricket tournament beginning May 23 in Pune. The tournament is being touted as the inaugural women’s IPL in the country. Priyanka Priyadarshini and Sujata Mallick will represent the IPL Trailblazers team in the event. The two other teams are IPL Supernovas and IPL Velocity, the BCCI said Monday.
The tournament is being organised alongside the play-off stage of the ongoing men’s edition of the IPL. The women’s event is appearing like a mini-version of the IPL as 14 overseas players will be playing for the three women’s teams.
Star Indian players Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma were Monday named captains of the three teams. The BCCI announced 16-member squads for each of three teams – Harmanpreet-led Supernovas, Mandhana-led Trailblazers and Deepti-led Velocity.
Veteran India cricketers Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey are the notable absentees in the squads. They had played in the last edition of the tournament in 2020.
A BCCI official said India greats Mithali and Jhulan have been rested. Both were expected to retire after the World Cup earlier this year but are yet to take a call on their future. “Both Mithali and Jhulan have been rested,” the official said.
A total of 12 overseas players were also announced for the exhibition event. Among them are star South African opener Laura Wolvaardt and World No. 1 one bowler Sophie Ecclestone. Thai player Natthakan Chantam will make her second appearance in the competition.
The only Australian featuring in the line-ups is leg spinner Alana King while the English cricketers include Ecclestone, Sophia Dunkley and Kate Cross.
Bangladesh cricketers Salma Khatun and Sharmin Akhter have also been picked. The West Indians include Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews.
The performers in the recently held Senior Women’s T20 Trophy have also been rewarded. The tournament’s leading run getter KP Navgire and leading wicket-taker Aarti Kedar will play for Velocity.
The upcoming edition is expected to be the last one with BCCI planning a full-fledged Women’s IPL from next year.