top of page

By:

Dev Dhurandhar

9 August 2025 at 4:13:29 pm

T20 League will strengthen Mumbai’s women cricketing structure

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will usher in a new era for women’s cricket by holding the first-ever T20 Mumbai Women’s League, which will kickstart at the iconic Wankhede Stadium from June 1, Monday. The inaugural T20 Mumbai Women’s League will feature three teams, SoBo Mumbai Falcons, Thane Sky Risers and Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs. In an exclusive interview with ‘The Perfect Voice’s representative Dev Dhurandhar, Prof. Dr Unmesh Khanwilkar, MCA Secretary, spoke about...

T20 League will strengthen Mumbai’s women cricketing structure

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will usher in a new era for women’s cricket by holding the first-ever T20 Mumbai Women’s League, which will kickstart at the iconic Wankhede Stadium from June 1, Monday. The inaugural T20 Mumbai Women’s League will feature three teams, SoBo Mumbai Falcons, Thane Sky Risers and Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs. In an exclusive interview with ‘The Perfect Voice’s representative Dev Dhurandhar, Prof. Dr Unmesh Khanwilkar, MCA Secretary, spoke about the League, its goals, preparations and MCA’s vision of building an inclusive and professionally driven platform for talent development with this League. Excerpts: What inspired MCA to launch the Women’s T20 Mumbai League? With Indian women winning the 50-over World Cup last year, there has been a huge interest towards women’s cricket. The popularity of women’s cricket has also gone up tremendously. Thanks to this, the young cricket playing girls have now started aspiring to represent India or play in the WPL. In this context, we thought this is an ideal time to launch our own Women’s T20 League. Mumbai has a rich and proud history in cricket. The MCA has always been a torch-bearer in Indian cricket. The T20 Mumbai League, played for men, is already in its fourth season. In women’s cricket too, Mumbai has a strong system with tournaments for various age groups, divisions and clubs. The Women’s T20 League should be seen as a welcome addition to this structure. How important is this tournament in MCA’s long-term plan for women’s cricket in Mumbai? The long-term plan is to strengthening Mumbai’s cricketing structure by creating a dedicated and competitive platform for women cricketers. We feel that the League will play a major role to realize this goal. The League will provide opportunities to several local club and grassroots players to showcase their talent. It also reflects the MCA’s commitment to building a sustainable pathway for women’s cricket, while creating opportunities for players to transition to higher levels of the game. We are confident that this platform will play a pivotal role in identifying, nurturing and elevating the next generation of cricketers while building on Mumbai’s rich cricketing legacy. Why was the decision taken to begin with only three teams in the inaugural edition? We didn’t want to just add numbers. In fact, six parties had shown interest to buy teams in the inaugural Women’s League and a total of 363 players participated in the auction. But we decided to go for three teams because we wanted to ensure the best quality and competition in the League. Of course, this is just the beginning and the decision about increasing the number of teams in the League will be taken in due course. Wouldn’t the League have helped Mumbai cricketers more, had it played before the WPL? Taking into account its busy domestic schedule, the BCCI has allocated a specific window to the state associations for holding their local tournaments and we had to conduct the League within that timeframe. However, I am sure that the performances in the League will not go unnoticed and players will be rewarded for their performances in next year’s WPL as well as in the Indian team. The advantage of holding the League at this time is we will see competitive cricket even at the fag end of the season. It will keep the players actively engaged throughout the season. What gap in the current women’s domestic structure does this League aim to fill? The League is expected to add more professionalism to women’s cricket in Mumbai. With franchisees running their teams, we hope that there will be specialized efforts to improve players’ performances as well as their overall development. While the money will give the girls financial security, it will also spur them to enhance their game. The live telecast of League matches is also expected to add the player appeal. How will this league help young women cricketers from Mumbai reach higher levels like state, Women’s Premier League, or the Indian team? Take the case of Ira Jadhav, who is being touted as a future star. (Ira grabbed attention after becoming the first Indian to score a triple century in U-19 cricket last year). She will get the chance to play with Sayali Satghare, who is playing with the Indian team. Senior players like Saima Thakore and Humairaa Kazi are also leading their teams. This will give the upcoming girls more opportunity to learn more from established players and improve their game. This experience will come in handy for them to achieve higher goals. Do you expect the League to become a scouting ground for WPL franchises? Definitely. Mumbai has always been a breeding ground for talented cricketers. So scouts and coaches of WPL franchises are bound to take notice of your good performances. The League will provide a platform to Mumbai girls to showcase their talent to these franchises. I would consider the League as a stepping stone to success for these girls. What was the response from team owners and sponsors during the bidding process? We received an encouraging response from team owners as six parties were interested in buying the teams. Sponsors also came forward in good numbers with Nuvama being the title sponsor. There are several associate sponsors too. What are MCA’s expectations in terms of crowd attendance and fan engagement in the first season? Mumbaikars are not only passionate about cricket, but they are also knowledgeable fans of the game. So we expect spectators in large numbers at the Wankhede Stadium during the League. The live telecast has also given fans more avenues to follow the League. As a part of the fan engagement initiative, we have taken several measures to ensure watching the League matches at an iconic venue like Wankhede Stadium is a memorable experience. We have formed a group of content creators and social media influencers in Mumbai to promote this League. At the stadium, there will be game zones, cultural activities for the spectators. So it will be a complete entertainment package for the fans.

Woman behind Metro success

The nine days of Navratri celebrate goddesses who embody strength in different forms; valour, compassion, creativity, austerity, devotion, justice, protection, forgiveness and wisdom. In our annual Navratri series, we celebrate the lives of nine women who strive to build happy and safe spaces for themselves and those around them.


PART - 8


Name: Ashwini Bhide | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Name: Ashwini Bhide | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra

She has multiple feathers in her cap, but she owes a lot to her leadership of the Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) project. She is popularly called as the “Metro Woman” and is the first name to come to our mind when it comes to attributing the success of establishing a smoother transport network in a heavily crowded city of Mumbai. As the Managing Director of MMRC, IAS Officer Ashwini Bhide was at the helm of this massive infrastructure initiative aimed at decongesting Mumbai’s roads and providing a high-capacity, modern transit system. She faced innumerable hurdles, but she continued her good work undeterred. From legal, environmental, to logistical challenges— even massive resistance over the Aarey car shed issue — Ashwini remained steadfast in her commitment to make Mumbai a convenient place to commute.


Speaking to 'The Perfect Voice' Bhide said, “Challenges are part of our life and our lives are shaped by how we deal with the challenges. If we work hard with optimism and positive attitude, then it is not impossible to overcome hurdles and odds coming our way. While dreaming big we also need to be pragmatic and keep short term goals for ourselves.”


Women have many reasons to draw inspiration from Bhide especially with very few women having got the opportunity to hold this post in the state. Bhide is seen as one of the most influential, with Chief Ministers picking their confidants for it.

When asked what was the turning point in her life when she made up her mind to embark on this journey of excellence, Bhide said, “I failed my first attempt of the Civil services exam at the preliminary stage. Until that time, I never experienced failure. It dismayed me but also made me ponder upon my mistakes, my casual attitude to preparation for the exam and probably my over confidence. After the failed attempt, I prepared for my second attempt as if it was my last attempt and I succeeded with flying colours.”


It has never been a cake walk for Bhide as her career has not been without challenges. She was abruptly transferred in 2020 from the MMRC under controversial circumstances, which many perceived as politically motivated due to her firm stance on the Metro project. She also faced criticism in May this year when Mumbai’s newly inaugurated underground metro station at Acharya Atre Chowk was forced to shut after heavy rainfall led to a water-logging incident. However, she stood strong, and gave detailed convincing clarification to all the questions raised leaving no room for further criticism.


“Smaller successes boost our confidence and energise us to take up bigger challenges. We must also appreciate that failures too are an integral part of the path to success. Failures toughen and embolden us,” said Bhide.


While setting an example of an independent and strong woman, who doesn’t look behind while on the path of her good governance, Bhide believes that the surrounding environment and family support has a major role to play in scripting the journey of our career.


Bhide said, “Fortunately, it was not that challenging for me since I come from a family which is very simple, humble but understands the importance of education and self-dependence of daughters. I grew up in very small towns, went to vernacular medium schools, however the surrounding environment was very supportive. And I am sure many women in India would find themselves in a similar situation. If not, you would find many other supporting hands around you.”


In a field often criticised for red tape and inefficiency, Bhide stands out as an epitome of progressive governance. Her career sets an inspiring example of how committed public service, when combined with professionalism and courage, can bring about meaningful change in society.

Comments

bottom of page