The inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is set to get underway on Saturday, March 4 with Gujarat Giants taking on Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. Former India women's team captain, Mithali Raj, who announced her retirement from all formats of the game last year, will now be seen in a new role at the WPL. Mithali, who was roped in by Gujarat Giants' as the franchise's mentor, was seen shaking a leg.
In a video shared by Gujarat Giants, Mithali, who is a trained dancer in Bharatnatyam, was seen dancing to the famous song 'Manike'.
Fans were impressed by Mithali's dance moves.
Here's how Twitter reacted:
As mentor of the side, the 40-year-old cricketer will also promote women's cricket and help develop the sport at the grassroots level in Gujarat.
The Ahmedabad franchise had emerged the costliest of the five teams during the auction recently, with Adani Sportsline shelling out Rs 1289 crore.
Mithali said the new BCCI initiative will help women's cricket grow steadily and encourage young players to take up cricket professionally.
"The inaugural season of the Women's Premier League is a fantastic move for women's cricket and the involvement of the Adani Group is a massive boost for the sport as well," said Mithali on Saturday.
"Women's cricket is growing steadily, and this kind of impetus will undoubtedly encourage young women to consider taking up cricket professionally.
"I believe that the high-impact participation of corporates will help hasten the process of eventually bringing more glory to India.
"This level of influence can help strengthen the sporting ecosystem and enhance opportunities for women athletes," she added.
(With PTI Inputs)