becomes ‘mentor’ of

AhmedabadWomen’s Premier League (WPL) team Gujarat Giants has appointed former India captain Mithali Raj as a ‘mentor’ and advisor. The inaugural phase of the league will be held in March-April this year.

Mithali, the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket, had retired from all formats last year, bringing an end to her 23-year-long career. Mithali (40 years) will also help in promoting women’s cricket in Gujarat and promoting the game from the grassroots level as a mentor of the team.

The Ahmedabad franchise was the costliest among the five teams in the recent team auction, for which Adani Sportline spent Rs 1,289 crore. “The inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League is a great step forward for women’s cricket and the involvement of the Adani Group is a huge boost for the sport,” Mithali said on Saturday.

He said that this initiative of BCCI (Indian Cricket Board) will help in the development of women’s cricket and young players will also be encouraged to play cricket professionally. (agency)