Chance to impress: IPL observer in Trinidad for Women's CPL

Vankina Chamundeswaranath, the Indian Cricket Association's representative on the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council, believes there is potential for the Massy Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) to be as big as the IPL and the Women's Premier League (WPL) tournaments.

Chamundeswaranath is in Trinidad on behalf of the IPL, and will be observing the 2024 WCPL tournament which runs from August 21-29.

India has a measure of influence in this year's WCPL tournament, with Indian players Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey being drafted into the Trinbago Knight Riders team, along with legendary former Indian seamer Jhulan Goswami, who was announced as TKR's mentor last month.

TKR is owned by Red Chillies Entertainment, a conglomerate established by revered Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Speaking to Newsday during a WCPL players' welcome reception at the Trinidad Hilton on August 19, Chamundeswaranath said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is open to the idea of releasing more players for the tournament to help boost its quality and marketability.

"I'm observing the tournament so I can inform the board to send more players to make this tournament a little bigger," Chamundeswaranath told Newday. "The Indian board gives permission for a lot of Indian players to play in the (WCPL)."

Both Pandey and Rodrigues are expected to play crucial roles for TKR this season. The pair have played over 100 matches for India across all formats. The 23-year-old Rodrigues has an average of 30.50 in the Twenty/20 Internationals, rattling off 11 fifties in the process. Rodrigues is currently ranked as the 19th-best batter in the world in the T20 format.

This January, Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) signed a four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) geared towards promoting gender pay equity in the Caribbean game.

The MOU outlined a plan to "achieve parity in international and regional match fees, international captain's allowances, international team prize money and regional individual prize money for all West Indies cricketers by October 1, 2027."

West Indies women's captain Hayley Matthews was the MVP of the inaugural WPL in 2023, helping Mumbai Indians to the title. Chamundeswaranath said there is a window of opportunity for other regional players to stake their claim as well.

"This (WCPL) tournament can also grow like IPL or the WPL. India supports the West Indies board, that's why we've given permission for these players to play," he said. "It's a good sign.

"I think the organisation is really good. The (WCPL) should grow and become like the WPL and make West Indian women cricketers rich."

In the 2023 WPL season, Matthews scored an astonishing 271 runs and took a joint-best 16 wickets.

Chamundeswaranath said there will be a small WPL auction this December, before the mega-auction next year. He said allrounder Deandra Dottin is one of the players they will be keeping a close eye on.

Dottin, 33, the TKR women's team captain, is set to return to the Windies set-up after reversing her 2022 decision to retire from the game.

Shakera Selman, a former Windies standout, is also hoping players can cash in and take advantage of the IPL observers.

"This tournament is an opportunity for people all over the globe to see what we have in the Caribbean. We're no longer dependent on making West Indies' teams," said Selman, during her speech at the players' welcome.

"If you don't make a West Indies team you still have an opportunity to display your talent. I'm sure a lot of the girls are excited to hear there's someone from IPL who's watching," said Selman, who retired from West Indies duty earlier this year.

"Maybe it's an opportunity for Jannillea Glasgow to go to the IPL. I'm really hopeful the West Indian ladies can show up, show out and turn it up this year."

Glasgow, a 20-year-old Vincentian seamer, who has played four T20s for the West Indies, will be suiting up with TKR for WCPL 2024. The 34-year-old Selman will suit up for a Guyana Amazon Warriors team which will be aiming to go one better after losing to Matthews and the Barbados Royals in last year's final.

Chamundeswaranath is scheduled to leave Trinidad on August 30. Before then, a host of regional cricketers will hope to impress and put their names in the WPL auction.