BCCI set to introduce Women Umpires in Ranji Trophy 2022-23 

Janani Narayanan with Vrinda Rathi and Gayathri Venugopalan [Source: Twitter]

In another historic and significant development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce Women's umpires in the 2022-23 edition of the Ranji Trophy.

According to a report published in Indian Express, Vrinda Rathi, Janani Narayanan, and Gayathri Venugopalan are set to officiate in Ranji Trophy 2022-23 season. This will be the first time the three women umpires will be seen in a tournament like Ranji. 

"Going ahead, women umpires will be getting to do Ranji Trophy games. This is just a start. The BCCI has decided to give them the opportunity in the men's game, too," a BCCI official told The Indian Express.

All three ladies possess a great passion for cricket. While Janani quit a software engineer job when Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) invited applications for the umpire's role, Rathi was a scorer on Mumbai Maidens before being inspired by New Zealand umpire Kathy Cross and tried her hands at umpiring.  

Meanwhile, Gayathri could not become a cricketer despite having a tremendous passion for the sport, but she followed the game closely on the centre square after passing BCCI's umpire exams. Now, all three ladies will set examples for aspiring cricketers or women who want to do umpiring jobs.  

It is worth mentioning that Rathi Narayanan and Gayathri Venugopalan will miss the season's first leg due to officiating in the India-Australia women's T20I series. However, the duo will be available from Round 2 of the tournament. 

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