Sri Lanka Cricket logo. (Photo Source: Twitter/@OfficialSLC)
In a groundbreaking move, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is set to inaugurate the Women’s National Super League (WNSL), marking a significant milestone for women’s cricket in the country. The WNSL will feature both 50-over and T20 formats, providing a platform for young prospects to showcase their skills and compete at the highest domestic level, which can help the selectors create a large pool of cricketers to choose from for international cricket.
The 50-over tournament, commencing on February 6, will witness four teams – Colombo, Kandy, Dambulla and Galle battling it out in the middle. The matches are slated to take place in Colombo, as 60 players are registered to be a part of the competition.
“The 50-over tournament, which will start on February 6, is a major elevation for women’s cricket in the country, as they get to compete in the country’s elite domestic competition,” stated an SLC media release.
“Competing and performing well in the Women’s National Super League will enable players to graduate to national recognition,” it further read.
Right after the conclusion of the 50-over tournament, the T20 competition will kick off. The final of the 50-over format is slated to take place on February 12, while the shorter format will begin on February 15, with the final to take place on February 20. Coming to the format of the tournament, each team will play each other once in the tournament as the top two teams, in the end, will fight it out in the final.
Notably, the launch of the WNSL underscores Sri Lanka’s commitment to promoting gender equality in cricket. By providing a robust domestic structure, SLC aims to empower female cricketers and create a pipeline of talent for the national team. Interestingly, the national team has not played a single match from March 2020 to November 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted their growth. Keeping that in mind, SLC were planning to launch the tournament quickly, to identify more cricketers to keep the supply chain active.