Why it is time to start a women's IPL

A lot is happening for women's cricket at this point

An Indian rubbing shoulders with an Australian in the same team. Ricky Ponting and Tendulkar exchanging notes in the same dugout, Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds referring to each other as 'mates'. For any ardent sports lover who has stopped watching cricket after the millennium, this would be pretty incredible. He might even dismiss these facts as truth claims made by a deranged fanatic.

But that's what the IPL has given us - competition of the highest order with the greatest superstars rubbing shoulders. It would be fair to say that the IPL has changed cricket -- the way we think about the sport and play the game on any given day. Its success is the single big reason for the popularity of T20 cricket and the mushrooming of franchise-based leagues all around the world.

For the last few years now, the IPL has been setting an example for the other leagues to follow. But such a high-profile tournament cannot afford to relish in self-complacency and stagnation: if it wants to continue showing the way, it must necessarily evolve.

The next big evolution - and a much needed one - that it should seriously consider  is to have an IPL for women cricketers. At a time when women's cricket is gaining visibility like never before and women superstars have been vocal in demand for an IPL, this is no longer a proposition that can be dismissed nonchalantly.

Strong demand for a women's IPL

The demand for a women's IPL is steadily on the rise. Jhulan Goswami has already said that she thinks it would be the next big step for the IPL to take. And not just Goswami, the captains of the women's teams of the three cricketing powerhouses - India, England and Australia - have all spoken out for the need of an IPL for women.

Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj said that she was greatly optimistic of such a possibility in the near future. "The T20 World Cup will be important in popularising the game. If we do well in it, it will definitely give birth to the women's IPL," she said speaking at a press conference in Mumbai ahead of the T20 World Cup.

"It's not a bad idea. Every second person asks me when the IPL will have a women's edition. I hope it's sooner rather than later. If you'd asked me this question three or four years back, I wouldn't have known.

"But this is an ideal time to promote women's cricket through the IPL because people are aware of it. A lot is happening for women's cricket at this point, with the contract system in place."

The women's team captains of England and Australia, Charlotte Edwards and Meg Lanning, also echoed her sentiments. "We've seen women's Big Bash kick off to a good success in Australia. There's Super League in England as well. If there was an IPL for women here to be started, it will take the game forward and players will love to be involved in," Lanning said.