Bengal Pro T20 league is going to benefit Bengal's players massively: Jhulan Goswami

The legendary Jhulan Goswami lavished praise on the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) after it announced the commencement of the much-awaited Bengal Pro T20 League on Tuesday, April 2.

The inaugural edition of the tournament will be held in early June 2024. Eight franchise teams will participate in the league and each of them will have both men's and women's teams. The men's and women's tournaments will run at the same time. CAB's initiative has received a lot of adulation as it is set to host India's first state association-run women's T20 league.

A few other state cricket boards in India have already conducted their own men's T20 tournaments, the most prominent being the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the Maharaja Trophy (by the Karnataka State Cricket Association). A plethora of talented cricketers have been unearthed by these tournaments and CAB is hoping for the same with the Bengal Pro T20 League.

"At most, other states conduct exhibition matches for women. So other than the WPL, this is the first professional or franchise-based domestic tournament for them," former India and Bengal quick Goswami told ESPNcricinfo.

Also Read: Bengal set to host India’s first state association-run Women's T20 league

Jhulan Goswami is associated with the Mumbai Indians team in the Women's Premier League (WPL). She serves as the bowling coach and the mentor of the first-ever WPL champions. From her experience of being in the WPL circuit, Jhulan noted that teams look for players who are doing well in domestic cricket. She feels that the Bengal Pro T20 League will help players from West Bengal showcase their skills and hopefully attract bids in the WPL auction.

"Franchises in the WPL keep their eyes fixed [on domestic cricket] to spot some raw talent. There is a lot of scouting going on. So the Pro T20 league is going to benefit Bengal's players massively," she continued.

Bengal has been having many tournaments, we don't have to run around to find or discover players: Goswami

A total of 128 players will be required to play in the league as each of the eight teams will need to have 16 players. Jhulan Goswami was asked how Bengal would find that many quality cricketers. The 41-year-old assured that there will be no lack of quality players as she praised the domestic cricket structure in Bengal.

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"Bengal has been having so many Under-15, district- and senior-level tournaments. We don't have to run around to find or discover players. The CAB has been putting in great effort to form these different teams. So arranging for so many players will not be an issue at all. In fact, our coaches and selectors also spot talented players who can't afford to travel to Kolkata [in order to play]. It is with this confidence and self-belief the CAB is looking forward to this league," Goswami concluded.