Taniya Bhatia feels really excited to be part of Women's T20 Challenge

The Women's T20 Challenge game can pave the life changing way for cricketers like Taniya.

Tanya Bhatia is a wicketkeeper for Indian women's team. (Hindustan Times)

Ever since the Women's T20 Challenge, which is slated to be played before the first qualifier of the ongoing Indian Premier League season, got announced by the BCCI, there is huge excitement amongst the cricket loving public as to what the future beholds for Women's T20 cricket in the country. There's a genuine likelihood of a women's version of the IPL in the future. 

The cricket playing people are no different, they also share the enthusiasm for what lies ahead after this game. Taniya Bhatia is one such cricketer. 

The wicketkeeper will be wearing the gloves for the IPL Supernovas team led by Harmanpreet Kaur against IPL Trailblazers team which is captained by Smriti Mandhana. 

Taniya was quoted saying about the occasion as well as reaching this far in her career, as “It’s a great opportunity for me to play in the first-ever T-20 Challenge match ahead of the IPL Qualifier. As a cricketer, we all have dreamt to play for a T-20 team. Harmanpreet has been our captain for the Indian team too and playing under her along with sharing the dressing room with players like Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning will be a special moment for me. I will be seeking valuable tips from Australian wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy, who will be the wicket-keeper for IPL Trailblazers and whose videos I watch to learn. After the tri-series against Australia and England, I scored one century for Punjab in BCCI U-23 tournament and I have also spent time on my fitness and stamina in the last one month,” 

Happy for his daughter, her father Sanjay Bhatia was quoted saying, “Playing in this T-20 Challenge match will be a dream come true for Taniya. When the first edition of IPL took place in 2007, she trained under Yograj Singh and met Yuvraj Singh too who played for Kings XI Punjab in the initial years. Taniya would also cheer for IPL teams and tell us that one day, she will also play in T-20 format,”

Her mother, Sapna Bhatia, sure knows Cricket and the IPL, when she said, “My favourite team in IPL is Kings XI Punjab. While KXIP chances of reaching the qualifiers are less, we will be cheering for Taniya this time before the qualifiers,” 

The possibly historic game will be played at the Wankhede Stadium on 22nd February and will be televised all over the world. 

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 18 May, 2018

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