Former India cricket captain Mithali Raj has been brought in as a mentor and advisor to Gujarat Giants, a side of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), ahead of its inaugural season, which will take place in March-April this year. Mithali, the highest run-getter in international women’s cricket, retired from all formats last year after a career spanning 23 years. As a mentor to the side, the 40-year-old cricketer will also promote women’s cricket and help develop the sport at grassroots level in Gujarat.
The Ahmedabad franchise had recently become the most expensive of the five teams during the auction with Adani Sportsline shelling out Rs 1289 crore.
Mithali said the new BCCI initiative will help women’s cricket grow steadily and encourage young players to take up cricket professionally.
“The inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League is a fantastic move for women’s cricket and the involvement of the Adani Group is also a huge boost for the sport,” Mithali said on Saturday.
“Women’s cricket is steadily growing and this kind of impulse will undoubtedly encourage young women to consider taking up professional cricket.
“I believe the impactful participation of companies will help speed up the process to ultimately bring more glory to India.
“This level of influence can help strengthen the sporting ecosystem and increase opportunities for female athletes,” she added.
Pranav Adani, director of Adani Enterprises, called Mithali a role model and hoped that her presence will help attract new talent not only in cricket but also in other sports.
“Mithali Raj is a role model for the young generation and we are delighted to have such an inspiring athlete on board to guide our women’s cricket team,” said Pranav.
“We believe that the presence of international sports heroes like Mithali will attract new talent not only to cricket but every other sport and transform the professional sports ecosystem,” he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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