Mithali Raj wants women's IPL next year, says BCCI shouldn't wait forever

New Delhi: Taking her cue from the recent remark by Sunil Gavaskar that a women's IPL will help the country unearth many talented cricketers, India women's ODI captain Mithali Raj, urged the BCCI to make it happen next year on a smaller scale and should not "wait forever".

"I personally feel they should start a women's IPL by next year, even if it's on a slightly smaller scale and with some changes in rules, such as, say, have five to six foreign players in the first edition instead of four as is the case with the men's IPL," Raj told 'ESPNCricinfo'

After India lost the T20 World Cup final earlier this month, Sunil Gavaskar had called for a full-fledged women's IPL from next year to unearth talent.

In 2019, a three-team women's tournament was held featuring sides called IPL Velocity, IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas. This year, the BCCI had decided to organise a four-team women's T20 challenge to run parallel to the men's IPL playoffs.

India don't have enough women cricketers for a full-fledged IPL but Raj said it can still be conducted if existing IPL franchises own teams to begin the process.

"I agree we don't have enough depth in the domestic pool, but the key is to get the existing franchises to form teams, even if (only) five or six of them are keen to begin the process because in any case, the BCCI was going to have four teams," she said.

"You cannot wait forever; you have to begin at some point, and gradually, year by year, you can keep evolving the league and then bring it down to four foreign players."

Mithali Raj also said that teen sensation Shafali Verma, who impressed with the bat in the T20 World Cup, should be included in the ODIs too.

"It's not a bad idea to consider her for the ODIs. She is young but that should not be a criterion for not giving her opportunities in the ODI side," she said.