Former India captain Jhulan Goswami has hailed the Bengal T20 League as an important platform for women’s cricket, crediting the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) for creating a structure that gives female cricketers equal opportunities, professional exposure and a pathway to higher honours.

Speaking on the sidelines of the tournament, Jhulan said one of the league’s biggest strengths is its integrated model, where eight men’s and as many women’s teams operate under the same franchise ecosystem.

“Both competitions run alongside each other. That itself sends out a strong message about how women’s cricket should be viewed,” Jhulan said.

She described the league as much more than a domestic competition, calling it an important talent-identification platform. “This is not just a tournament. It is an ideal platform for budding cricketers. Scouts, selectors and coaches are watching closely, and players get the opportunity to perform under pressure and prove themselves,” she said.

Jhulan also praised CAB for fostering a culture of equality. “There is a beautiful culture within the CAB. Everyone is given equal respect. Facilities are extremely important for any athlete, and CAB has consistently invested in providing those opportunities to women cricketers,“ she said.

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Addressing discussions around visibility, Jhulan said the league’s broadcast and streaming model continues to provide valuable exposure for players despite logistical challenges of running parallel competitions within a compact domestic window.

“The most important thing is that the matches are being shown and followed. The women’s matches are available online, which allows scouts, franchises and cricket followers to watch the players. Today, people consume a lot of sport digitally, so visibility is there, and that exposure is extremely important for young cricketers,” she said.

According to Jhulan, the ultimate objective of the Bengal T20 League is to create a pipeline of talent capable of progressing to the Women’s Premier League and the Indian team.

“Our target is to ensure more girls get opportunities at the highest level. WPL franchises and scouts are following the tournament closely. If players use this platform well, it can become a stepping stone to bigger opportunities,” she said.

Highlighting the growth of women’s cricket in Bengal, Jhulan pointed to the increasing number of district, club and age-group tournaments and said the state is now producing players capable of competing on the national stage.

“When I started playing, we could not have imagined a platform like this. Today, players are getting professional support, better exposure and opportunities to build careers in the game. That is a very positive sign for the future of women’s cricket,” she added.

Published on Jun 06, 2026