Alyssa Healy calls for women’s Indian Premier League after $2bn spend on two new men’s teams

A massive cash splash to create two new Indian Premier League teams overlooked something significant and it hasn’t gone down well.

Australian and WBBL star Alyssa Healy wants to see a women’s IPL. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Australian star Alyssa Healy couldn’t hide her disappointment after women’s cricket was again overlooked amid a $2bn spending spree to create two new Indian Premier League teams.

Indian officials were celebrating the massive windfall but it came with no announcements about either a women’s equivalent competition or even news on the rescheduling of exhibition games set to feature the Aussie stars.

Australia and India were the centre of the cricket world in September as they played out a gripping multi-format series that attracted eyeballs in record numbers.

A massive cumulative average audience of 1.113 million then tuned in to the opening weekend of the WBBL, which this year is featuring eight of India’s best players, including captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Healy’s opening partner at the Sydney Sixers, Shafali Verma.

Healy and her teammates are strong advocates of growing the game in India, and around the world, and was left frustrated at the lack of developments.

“I feel like I have made some thoughts known in the past about the way that has unfolded,” Healy said.

Indian star Harmanpreet Kaur is playing for the Melbourne Renegades. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

“From a personal perspective it was disappointing they postponed the women’s exhibition games. They did everything they possibly could to put the back end of the IPL on (after it was abandoned in April) leading into a World Cup and then within a week of that starting they have two new men’s IPL teams.

“They’ve made all those moves and there’s still no word on whether they are even going to play the postponed exhibition games.

“They just got a $2bn payday and hopefully some of that will go back into women’s cricket and maybe a women’s IPL in the near future.

“But we want to see it happen, we want to see world cricket really strong and that’s the next step, for India to put on a showcase of an event and show the world how good these young Indian players are.”

Three Indian players sit in the top-10 run scorers in this season’s WBBL, which has been interrupted by rain in Hobart and now moves to Perth, then Adelaide before heading to Mackay.

Shafali Verma hits out for the Sydney Sixers. Picture: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

The matches across November 13-14 at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay will form part of the Woolworths Pick Fresh, Play Fresh Round, the first time a round of elite sport has been dedicated to promoting kids‘ nutrition and healthy eating.

Healy, who will return to the field for the Sydney Sixers in Perth on Saturday, said the Indian visitors had added a “whole new element” to the tournament that she hoped would build a buzz in their homeland and be a huge boost for the women’s game.

“Hopefully, it might start the conversation back in India about the women’s IPL,” she said.

“I know they would be really excited to see more of those exhibition games. A women’s IPL would be ideal, but just to showcase the talent they have got.

“I would just love to see them get as much opportunity as possible.”

Originally published as Alyssa Healy calls for women’s Indian Premier League after $2bn spend on two new men’s teams