"Next frontier for the women's game" - Ellyse Perry on Women's IPL

Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry said that the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) will have a massive impact on women’s cricket. However, the WIPL is yet to start and talks for the same are going on. Meanwhile, the Women’s T20 Challenge began in 2018 and it has witnessed three editions so far, involving Velocity, Trailblazers and Supernovas as the three teams as well.

However, Perry did well quite well on Saturday, where she scored an unbeaten 42-ball 72 in the fourth Women’s T20I against Team India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. On the back of her knock, the Australian team put up their highest score against India in T20Is and eventually register a seven-run win and the series as well.

Notably, Perry was also involved in a 94-run stand with Ashleigh Gardner, who won the Player of the Match award for smashing 42 off 27 and finished with the figures of 4-0-20-2. However, Ellyse Perry praised Gardner and also lauded Grace Harris, who scored an unbeaten 12-ball 27 as well.

“The game’s continuing to evolve and grow and you have to go with it. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to bat with this group. Grace was absolutely amazing tonight, so was Ash Gardner,” Ellyse Perry was quoted as saying in the post-match presentation ceremony. “Never seen the crowd pull out their mobiles and turn on the flashlights and support a team like they did in the Indian innings. For me that’s just amazing. The IPL is going to be amazing.”

“Tremendously. Next frontier for the women’s game. We’ve seen what the WBBL has done for women’s cricket in Australia, the Hundred in England and the next step is the women’s IPL in what is the spiritual home of cricket,” Ellyse Perry concluded.

However, with 41 runs needed off 18 balls, India had the chance of going past the finish line as well. But Gardner gave away three runs in the 18th over to have the upper hand. Megan Schutt then defended 20 runs in the last over and sealed the deal.