Jhulan Goswami: 'Both Bengal and India will benefit from Bengal Pro T20'

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) announced on Tuesday that it would host India's first state-association-run women's T20 league. Named the Bengal Pro T20, it will run alongsde a men's tournament and be held in Kolkata in June.

A few other state cricket boards in India have already conducted their own men's T20 tournaments, the most prominent being the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the Maharaja Trophy (by the Karnataka State Cricket Association). Last year, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association also conducted a men's T20 league, in which a then-unknown Sameer Rizvi hogged the limelight and was later signed by Chennai Super Kings for a whopping INR 8.4 crore at the IPL auction.

With the Bengal Pro T20, the CAB aims to provide similar opportunities to its players, not just men but also women.

"At most, other states conduct exhibition matches for women," former India and Bengal quick Jhulan Goswami told ESPNcricinfo. "So other than the WPL, this is the first professional or franchise-based domestic tournament for them."

Goswami, the bowling coach and mentor at the WPL team Mumbai Indians, is also the mentor of the Bengal women's team. Looking at it through that lens, she said: "Franchises in the WPL keep their eyes fixed [on domestic cricket] to spot some raw talent. There is a lot of scouting going on. So the Pro T20 league is going to benefit Bengal's players massively."

Another former India cricketer, Gargi Banerjee, who now heads the CAB's women's selection committee, said this league could act as a stepping stone for players who aren't able to make it to the WPL.

"This tournament will help unearth a lot of talent," Banerjee said. "And if those who don't get a chance higher up - like in the WPL - can prove themselves here, then it can help them greatly, because to play a match is completely different from practising in the nets.

"There are girls who represent teams like Bengal, East Zone and NCA [National Cricket Academy], but are not getting a chance in the WPL. This league will help highlight their performances. Take the example of Dhara Gujjar [who played three games for Mumbai Indians in WPL 2023] or Kashish Agarwal: if any of them gets a few fifties, or even a century, in this league, then it will help them enter or get more chances in the WPL."

Given that the Bengal Pro T20 will be a franchise tournament, Goswami expects it to help the players financially too. CAB president Snehasish Ganguly had said that "all players will be paid as per the salary cap", a move Goswami feels would help those from smaller towns avail better facilities for practice and training.

Only players from Bengal are eligible to play in the league as the idea is to improve Bengal cricket. "We want to develop women's cricket, and see it progress in Bengal," Banerjee said. "Having barely a few women's tournaments in the entire year hardly helps. So this league will help the women players get plenty of matches.

"There are players across districts who get dropped after just one or two failures. So the whole exercise is to give them more chances. We really needed a tournament like this."

With eight teams of 16 members each set to participate in the league, a total of 128 players will be required. When asked how Bengal would find that many quality players within the state, Goswami and Banerjee pointed to age-group district and club teams.

"Bengal has been having so many Under-15, district- and senior-level tournaments," Goswami said. "We don't have to run around to find or discover players. The CAB has been putting in great effort to form these different teams. So arranging for so many players will not be an issue at all.

"In fact, our coaches and selectors also spot talented players who can't afford to travel to Kolkata [in order to play]. It is with this confidence and self-belief the CAB is looking forward to this league."

Banerjee pointed out that the club league beginning next month would feature eight teams of 16 players each. "We have as many as 150-180 women cricketers across different levels," she said. "Plus, the four age-group sides have about 30-35 probables each. So that gives us another 120 players at our disposal. So the selection committee has their eyes on them, too. Overall, this forms a big pool."

Banerjee felt the league would have an "ideal mix of senior and mid-level players, and a few youngsters".

Apart from Banerjee and Goswami, Bengal has over the last few years produced several India players including Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Titas Sadhu and Saika Ishaque. Goswami hoped a few of them would participate, when available, to make the league more competitive.

"If you prepare yourself in such a competitive environment, both Bengal and India will benefit," she said. "This league has opened up opportunities, as women don't have a lot of exposure other than when it comes to the BCCI tournaments."