Women's IPL To Start 'Soon', Says BCCI Secretary Jay Shah
Published - 07 Feb 2022, 03:06 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:04 AM
BCCI secretary Jay Shah has said that the board aims to begin a full-fledged Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) as early as next year onwards and the work on it is in full swing. This comes after calls from various corners including former cricketers, both male and female raised for a women’s T20 tournament in India at par with Women’s BBL and the Women’s Hundred.
A three-team Women’s T20 Challenge is staged alongside the men’s IPL, but many believe women deserve their own expanded tournament with more teams and players. The Women’s T20 Challenge will continue this year, but BCCI secretary Jay Shah said things would change soon.
“I want to assure you that BCCI is not only sincere but is taking all necessary steps to start a full-fledged women’s league similar to the IPL soon. The huge interest among fans and players towards the women’s T20 Challenge is an encouraging sign and we are all committed to making it happen,” Jay Shah told Reuters via email.
The Women’s T20 challenge didn’t take place in IPL 2021 due to the COVID situation as the IPL 2021 was staged in two halves, one in India and the other in the UAE. Before this, the entire IPL 2020 was held in the UAE.
BCCI To Adopt ‘Wait And Watch’ Approach On Having Crowds For IPL 2022
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is doing its best to hold the IPL 2022 edition in India itself, given that it will feature ten teams, with the addition of two new franchises to the mix- Ahmedabad and Lucknow. This year’s IPL will begin in the last week of March and Shah was confident of staging the 10-team league in India.
“The circumstances were different in the last couple of years, and we managed to keep the show going under difficult circumstances by shifting it to the UAE. The BCCI is keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 situation in the country and if it is conducive, we will stage the event in India this year and I am pretty hopeful about that,” Shah said further in the email.
Speaking on whether crowds will be allowed in for the IPL 2022 matches, Shah said: “The board would take a “wait and watch approach” on the presence of spectators, depending on COVID-19 guidelines.”
The BCCI is expecting to host the league stage of the IPL 2022 in Maharashtra, specifically in Mumbai which has three international grounds in Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, and the DY Patil Stadium. There is also the MCA Stadium in Pune which is accessible by bus if the need arises.
