WPL 2023: Mithali Raj Joins Gujarat Giants as Team Mentor

Former India women’s team captain Mithali Raj has been roped in by Gujarat Giants as team mentor and advisor for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). The highest run-getter in women’s international cricket, Mithali retired from all formats in 2022 after a 23-year-long career.

Mithali will promote women’s cricket and help develop the sport at the grassroots level in Gujarat as the mentor of the side. She said the new BCCI initiative will help women’s cricket grow steadily and encourage young players to take up cricket professionally.

“The inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League is a fantastic move for women’s cricket and the involvement of the Adani Group is a massive boost for the sport as well,” said Mithali on Saturday.

“Women’s cricket is growing steadily, and this kind of impetus will undoubtedly encourage young women to consider taking up cricket professionally. I believe that the high-impact participation of corporates will help hasten the process of eventually bringing more glory to India. This level of influence can help strengthen the sporting ecosystem and enhance opportunities for women athletes,” she added.

The Ahmedabad franchise had emerged the costliest of the five teams during the auction recently, with Adani Sportsline shelling out Rs 1289 crore. Adani Enterprises director Pranav Adani called Mithali a role model and hoped her presence will help attract new talent in not just cricket but other sports as well.

“Mithali Raj is a role model for the young generation and we are delighted to have such an inspirational athlete on board to mentor our women’s cricket team. We believe that the presence of international sporting heroes like Mithali will attract new talent not just into cricket but also into every other sport and transform the professional sports ecosystem,” said Pranav.

(With Agency Inputs)

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