Face Of Women's Cricket: Mithali Raj To Come Out Of Retirement For Women's IPL?

The announcement of the Women's Indian Premiere League 2023 by the BCCI paved the way for a new wave in women’s cricket and generated excitement among the fans of the game. To see their favourite women cricketers compete in the high pressured yet entertaining tournament like IPL is something the fans have been waiting for a long time. As we approach the auction of the inaugural tournament, here's another piece of news that has raised the bar. Mithali Raj, the forever face of the game, is now making a comeback on the ground.

The news of former captain of the Indian Cricket team Mithali Raj likely coming out of retirement to play at the inaugural women's Indian Premiere League in March is surely a boost for the tournament.

Mithali Raj In WIPL

With the media rights to the WIPL also to be opened on Monday, the preparation ahead of the tournament is in full swing and BCCI is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the first-ever Women's Indian Premiere League is not just successful but also a torch bearer for years to come.

Reportedly, former Captain Mithali Raj will be the most important name in the IPL this year. The tournament will surely get an uplight and the players will have a great leader to follow as Raj brings years of expertise on her end.

The names of the five teams participating in the WIPL are likely to be announced in January last week. 

While India women's cricket's most successful right-hander had announced her retirement in June 2022, she had kept the option of returning to such a tournament open. Raj had first dropped a hint at her comeback in WIPL in July during a conversation with Isha Guha, former England player on an ICC Cricket podcast.

Suggested reading: Women’s IPL Likely To Be Scheduled In March, Check Date Inside

Why Raj's presence at the game matters

The 40-year-old cricketer played her last T20 international game in 2019 against England. She continued to play ODI and Test matches until June 2022.

It will be interesting to see that with Raj coming back to the game, will we get to see Jhulan Goswami take a shot at the IPL too. Goswami hung up her pads in 2022 in her last appearance at the game in a series against England.

Mithali Raj has kept the fans connected to the game in more ways than one. Her effort at bringing the game to the masses and getting the audiences to appreciate women’s cricket has massively bore fruit. Raj is one of the few pioneers across men's and women's cricket who has championed their way into keeping the game sacred and exciting even today. It is only fitting that Raj walks on that ground on the very first day and kickstarts the tournament which is an extension of years of hard work and sacrifice that women cricketers have invested in the game in order to be recognised, appreciated and equally bet on.