How the parallel IPL can be the beginning of a new era

Indian Premier League aims to promote Cricket in India and to provide a platform for the local players to play at the higher level, to get the best possible environment for developing themselves into professionals and to provide vast entertainment to the Cricket Fans all over the world. IPL has emerged as one of the best sports league in the world.

BCCI has taken a huge step for the development of women's cricket by announcing women's T20 exhibition match, which is to be played ahead of the IPL 2018 playoffs Qualifier 1 match as a part of the Indian premier league.

This might be the first step towards women's IPL, a counterpart to men's IPL. The match will be played on the 22nd of May (Tuesday) at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai.

The exhibition match will be played between two teams, IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas which will include the top international players in women's cricket.

Here, we look at how the parallel IPL can be the beginning of a new era.

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#1 A new platform for women's cricket

WBBL started in the 2015-16 season

Indian women team deserves something like this to showcase their talent and promote the game especially after a remarkable 2017 World Cup campaign where they fell just short of a maiden title.

If this experiment of exhibition match works successfully, then we might get to see the women's IPL in the next two to three years.

The BCCI has shown signs for the establishment of women's T20 league edition of the most successful cricket league in the world, Indian premier league.

"We are planning to get a women's IPL in place in two to three years" - Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) administrator Vinod Rai told AFP.

Women's T20 league isn't a new concept and has tasted success in Women's Big Bash League. WBBL started in the 2015-16 season alongside the Australian T20 league, Big Bash League.

Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Veda Krishnamurthy among others paying with foreign stars will be a unique experience and something that we have not witnessed here in India.

Since overseas players are a vital part of the IPL teams, women's IPL can help create good relations between players around the globe.

#2 Attract the crowd to women's cricket

Women's IPL will attract the crowd to women's cricket

If BCCI keeps a similar structure to that of Women's Big Bash League, Women's IPL will see players playing for a franchise which will represent a city similar to men's IPL city franchise.

This means a franchise or a city which has a men's IPL team will now have a women's IPL team under its brand. This will be in contrast to the exhibition match, featuring two teams not representing any city.

Women's IPL team representing a franchise similar to the men's league will attract fans of that particular franchise.

This format will allow the fans to support a team in women's IPL and follow the league. The women's edition of the IPL can be a huge boon for the future of women's cricket.

Women's IPL not only will bring the crowd to women's cricket but will also give exposure to inexperienced women players in India to showcase their talents.

#3 Exposure to new talent

IPL has given exposure to youngsters

The men's IPL has provided a platform for youngsters to showcase their talents, given the attention and exposure on the biggest cricket league platform, provide for a healthy livelihood and most importantly an experience of playing with the best in the world and learning from them.

In that sense, the call for women's IPL seems valid as the women's edition of the IPL can be a huge boon for the future of women's cricket.

Women's IPL not only will bring the crowd to women's cricket but will also give exposure to inexperienced women players in India to showcase their talents.

To conclude, women's IPL will be the beginning of a new era in women's cricket.

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