Suzie Bates Feels Women's IPL Will Help The Game Grow

New Zealand all-rounder Suzie Bates on Saturday said that a potential Women's edition of the Indian Premier League will not only add a lot of depth to the Indian women's cricket environment but also help women's cricket grow as a whole. "Yes, firstly, it will be the most important competition for Indian women's cricket, providing opportunities to the domestic players to play at that level. It is gonna create a lot of depth in the Indian women's cricket environment. Globally, just to have so many eyes on women's cricket by having an IPL, is going to help the game grow," said Bates in an interview with ANI.

"Many players across the world who have played international cricket would love to participate in a full IPL competition, I think a few players are waiting for this just because of the exposure that it might give to women's cricket," said Bates.

The all-rounder further said that it will be interesting to see whether the nature of contracts would change from a women's IPL event, and added that the money from broadcasting rights can change the women's cricket financially.

"Because that is where the money comes in for the men's game. More we are on TV, the more broadcasters put us on TV, more will be the money coming in for the game," she added.

Talking about Devon Conway's performances in the late stages of the IPL for Chennai Super Kings and how giving more chances could have changed the fortunes of the side struggling in the league, she said, "Being from New Zealand, I think that all the New Zealanders in the squad should be playing. It is a really tough competition to get opportunities until you do not prove yourself at that level. But now that he (Conway) has done that, it will be hard for them (CSK) to leave him out