Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur bat for the start of WIPL
![Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur [Image- BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/9c8ae-16367213131383-1920.jpg?w=500)
Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Radha Yadav and India Women's T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur have batted for the start of the Women’s IPL in the country. The likes of Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Rodrigues Kaur and other Indian players are currently in Australia to take part in the WBBL.
Speaking on cricket.com.au, Jemimah Rodrigues said it's high time India started its own T20 league, just like Australia. The power-packed batter believes the standards of Indian cricket will parachute to the next level. That's because the league will help unearth a plethora of talents like Shafali Verma. Rodrigues said:
"I think it is now time that we need to have a women's IPL in India. Because if you see the standards of England and Australian girls, the amount of exposure they are getting and these kind of games, it helps them improve so much drastically, " said Rodrigues.
"Just imagine if a youngster goes into the women's IPL does well and gets selected for India and then she'd be like, OK, I've been in a familiar place. You never know you might get so much, so many better talents out of that like Shafali Verma. So, I think it's high time. It's going to make women's cricket better in India," she added.
India's T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur echoed Rodrigues' thoughts. She said that just like Australian cricket, Indian cricket will also grow if it has its women's T20 league.
"We have seen how Australian cricket has grown when the WBBL started, and I hope we will also get a platform like that," said Kaur.
While the BCCI has staged a three-team Women's IPL in recent times, a full-fledged version of the same still remains a distant dream.
"That's the next step for Indian Women's cricket" - Smriti Mandhana on WIPL
Indian women's cricket has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years thanks to stellar performances by the senior team in ICC events.
Opener Mandhana believes the next logical step would be to stage a full-fledged women's IPL. That's because it would help strengthen the feeder line, much like what WBBL has done for Australian cricket.
"That's the next step for Indian Women's cricket, I think. Having an eight-team IPL or whatever teams BCCI decides, that's going to add a lot of depth to women's cricket in India," said Smriti Mandhana.
"You can see the standard of Australian women's team going up and not only by their main players, even the bench. That's what these kind of leagues, like, strengthen our bench. So that's something which is most needed in Indian cricket, " Mandhana said.
Spinner Radha Yadav also echoed the same thoughts, saying in this regard:
"Absolutely! We have (some) really good talent in India. It would be nice if we get a full IPL. For the other girls also in India, it will be really good,"
It will be interesting to see when and if a full-fledged WIPL takes off.