The much-awaited Women’s IPL is scheduled to begin in early 2023 and it promises to bring about a revolution in women’s cricket. Over the last few years, cricketing bodies have worked hard to increase the involvement of women in the cricket world.
Apart from the increase in women’s cricket tournaments and equalizing pay for male and female cricketers, administrators have also introduced female umpires in men’s matches. During the Legends League Cricket competitions which happened in Oman and India earlier this year, female umpires officiated the matches.
The BCCI social media team also features female employees now, while a few IPL teams have included women in their support staff. In this listicle now, we will list down the three women who will be seen as support staff members of the IPL franchises during the 2023 season.
#1 Navnita Gautam – Massage Therapist, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Navnita Gautam has been a member of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s support staff since the 2019 season. While she was the only woman in the RCB support staff during the 2019 season, she made it clear that she did not have any apprehensions about it.
“Absolutely not. It’s like having 20 brothers around at all times. Slowly but surely, the transition is happening. I believe that as long as the players and support staff trust your work, gender shouldn’t be an issue as we are all healthcare professionals,” Navnita Gautam had said in an interview.
Her social media bio states that she is a certified Athletic Therapist who was born in Canada and moved to India. She has a lot of experience in her field, having previously worked for Global T20 Canada’s Toronto Nationals team followed by a short stint as a support staff member for the Indian women’s basketball team.
Gautam also joined the Netherlands team as a support staff member during the T20 World Cup 2021 which happened in UAE and Oman.
#2 Dr. Harini Priyadarshini – Team Doctor, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Another woman to be a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s support staff in IPL 2023 is Dr. Harini Priyadarshini. All IPL franchises have a specific team doctor, and that position in the RCB support staff belongs to Harini.
Not much is known about her, but the official website of the Bangalore-based franchise states that she was born on October 19, 1992, meaning she is 30 years old now.
#3 Kinita Kadkia Patel – Nutritionist, Mumbai Indians
Professional Sports Nutritionist Kinita Kadakia Patel has been associated with the Mumbai Indians franchise for quite some time now and has helped many players achieve the maximum level of fitness with her tips.
Apart from Mumbai Indians, Kinita has also worked with Indian kabaddi player Vishal Mane and played a significant role in his transformation journey.
Patel is also an ardent fan of Indian sports. Her Twitter activity highlights how keenly she follows the Indian cricket team and other Indian athletes. She also has an Instagram account where more than 420,000 people follow her for tips.
