No more in the shadow: Mithali Raj confident in future of women's cricket

New Delhi: For long, women's cricket has been living in the shadows of man's version. But Indian women's team captain Mithali Raj feels that women's cricket "will stand alone as a brand in itself".

Luckily, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has managed to make the 2016 edition of World Twenty20 in India a virtual twin -- with both men's and women's tournament going on simultaneously.

Interestingly, the classic India-Pakistan fixtures is going to be a double-header on March 19. Indian women will take on their Pakistan counterparts in Delhi, two hours earlier to the men's encounter in Kolkata.

"I think the women's tournament has garnered a lot of attention, thanks to the double headers and television. Now that the tournament is hosted in India where almost everybody is a cricket lover, I think we should get good publicity," a report in the Times of India quoted Raj as saying.

The women's fixture, as expected, failed to hit the headlines, but the Indian captain is confident that women's cricket will finally able to establish it's own foothold.

"I don't think we are overshadowed. I'm quite confident in the future of women's cricket will stand alone as a brand in itself," she added.

The fifth edition of ICC Women's World Twenty20 will be held from March 15 to April 3, 2016, featuring 10 teams of two groups.

Defending champions and huge favourites Australia are in Group A with Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

India are in Group B with Bangladesh, England, West Indies and Pakistan.