"The most pleasing thing is that these players are getting an opportunity to play in The Hundred" - Lisa Sthalekar
Indian-born former Australian women's cricketer Lisa Sthalekar was the most recent guest on Gaurav Kapur's podcast, 22 Yarns. The cricketer spoke candidly about her experiences while growing up and the opportunities she got in Australia.
Sthalekar expressed her views on the current Indian women's cricket team, stating that she was 'really pleased' to see them play in England's new-ball format, The Hundred.
She believes that the time spent in England with different coaches, learning different things will not only be hugely beneficial to the Indian players but also to the domestic circuit.
"The most pleasing thing is these players are getting an opportunity to play in The Hundred. They will learn different things from different coaches. The training, mentality and tactics, all the insight they can bring to the domestic game in India," said Sthalekar.
Sthalekar was also quite vocal about her support for a full-fledged Women's IPL, suggesting that Indian women's cricket has enough players to start a 4-6 team tournament.
The former Australian cricketer was also impressed by Shafali Verma's performances in the recently played one-off Test match between India and England.
Some exciting things coming the Indian fans' way with the upcoming tour in Australia
The Indian women's team recently concluded a multi-format England tour which saw them play three T20Is, three ODIs and one Test match. While the hosts won both the white ball series 2-1, the gripping Test match ended in a draw with the Indians putting in a resilient display.
With a chance to build on that series, the Indian contingent will travel to Australia for a multi-format series, starting in September. The series is set to get underway on September 19th with the three-match ODI series.
The Indian women are scheduled to play a warm-up match against Australia XI Women, before the one-off Day/Night Test that is set to get underway on September 30th at the WACA. This is set to be a historic occasion for the Indian Women's team as it will be the first time they will be playing a pink ball Test.