Indian women’s cricket team coach WV Raman said that India is not ready yet to stage a full-fledged IPL-like tournament in women’s cricket.

After India’s embarrassing defeat in the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup, many, including Sunil Gavaskar, have voiced their support for a women’s IPL to help cricket grow. But Raman is of the belief that first a bigger talent pool needs to be identified.

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“My view is that as of now, we are not yet ready for a full-fledged IPL. What is a full-fledged IPL? If we’re talking of an eight-team IPL, I don’t think we are ready yet. Taking it nice and easy, a gradual thing, will be the best course of action. Yes, from two teams to three, and from three teams to four (in the Women’s T20 Challenge) is happening,” Raman was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.

“Instead of them playing once against each other, you can increase the quantum of matches, they can play each other twice. With the U-23 and ‘A’ tours happening for the girls as well, you will have a lot more talent coming through, which means in about three years’ time, we should be ready for a proper IPL kind of tournament,” he added.

Though the Indian team lost the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia recently, many feel the team is moving into the right direction irrespective of the result and much of the credit goes to the coach.

Australia on March 8 had defeated India by 85 runs to win their 5th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title. Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney shone with the bat earlier to help their team post a mammoth total of 184/4 before the bowlers bowled out India for 99 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.