The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has just taken a huge stride in the progression of women's cricket by selling three franchises for its upcoming women's T20 league. The new league, which will be played along the lines of the men's T20 Mumbai League, will adopt a franchise model, similar to that of the IPL. With the sale of the three teams, the MCA would add more than INR 4 crore to its funds. The association proposes to conduct the women's league at the same time as the men's tournament, between June 1 and June 15. The tournament is expected to be held right after the culmination of the IPL. The women's league is scheduled to consist of seven matches and will include three icon players - Jemimah Rodrigues, Saima Thakor and Sayali Satghare-subject to their availability. Only women cricketers of Mumbai would be allowed to play in the league. Mumbai comprises around 55 affiliated clubs and this league will provide local players with a lot of opportunity to grow. Also Read | Lungi Ngidi Becomes South Africa’s No.1 T20I Bowler, Dale Steyn Far Behind Strong Corporate Response Boosts Women’s Cricket Before the start of the league, the MCA also proposes to hold an auction. The bidding process witnessed a great response from corporate groups. Following the opening of the bids, PRS Infraprojects LLP was the first one to successfully buy a franchise at a bid price of INR 2,25,00,000.Roadway Solution India Infra Ltd was second with a bid amount of INR 1,09,00,000 whereas World Star Sporting Private Limited bought the third franchise for a sum of INR 79,00,000. The MCA stated that the three successfully bidding companies will be given ownership rights over the three franchises after they comply with all the formalities and contracts. Details of the league will be worked out by the T20 Mumbai Governing Council later. MCA president Ajinkya Naik said: "The overwhelming response to the bidding process for the T20 Mumbai Women's League is a strong endorsement of our vision to elevate women's cricket in Mumbai. The participation of reputed corporate groups reflects the growing commercial confidence in the women's game. We are committed to building a competitive and professionally managed league that provides a robust platform for emerging talent." Rajdip Gupta, Chairman of the T20 Mumbai League Governing Council, added: "The successful conclusion of the bidding process marks an important milestone for the T20 Mumbai Women's League. The strong bids received underline the league's credibility and potential. We look forward to working closely with the franchise owners to deliver a high-quality tournament that showcases the depth of women's cricketing talent in Mumbai." With significant backing from some companies, this women's league is expected to be a launch pad for the local talent in Mumbai.