We Can Have A Shorter Version Of The IPL, Maybe With 4 Or 5 Proper Teams With International Players – Anjum Chopra On Women's IPL

Updated - 29 Nov 2021, 01:13 PM

Anjum Chopra, Harmanpreet Kaur
Anjum Chopra, Image Source - Twitter

Former Indian captain Anjum Chopra has opined that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can organise a shorter version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for women’s with four or five teams and international players.

Several Indian women’s cricketers recently participated in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) and delivered an outstanding performance for their respective teams. Also, Harmanpreet Kaur was the star performer of the tournament, having won the Player of the Tournament award following her all-around performance for the Melbourne Renegades. Other than her, Smriti Mandhana smashed a sensational century for Sydney Thunder.

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Women's T20 Challenge
Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj are the three captains in the Women’s T20 Challenge.
Credits: Twitter

Notably, the BCCI had announced the four-team Women’s T20 Challenge last season, but it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and many cricket pundits criticised BCCI for doing everything to organise the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 but not showing interest in the Women’s T20 Challenge.

The Day The BCCI Decides To Conduct A Women’s IPL It Will Happen – Anjum Chopra

Harmanpreet Kaur of Melbourne Renegades. Photo- Getty
Harmanpreet Kaur of Melbourne Renegades. Photo- Getty

Meanwhile, in an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, former Indian captain Anjum Chopra said :

Women’s IPL… it’s a very interesting stage. I understand the chorus is happening and people are saying that it should happen especially after Harmanpreet (Kaur) winning the Player of the Tournament (Women’s Big Bash League) award. All these are absolutely fine.”

She added that the Women’s IPL tournament will commence whenever the BCCI wants it. The cricketer-turned-commentator elaborated:

The day the BCCI decides to conduct a Women’s IPL it will happen, the point is, the resistance is not only because they do not want to start it or they do not want a women’s tournament. I think there might be some other issues or questions on how it can be done and how it can be handled. We can of course have a shorter version of the IPL, maybe with 4 or 5 proper teams with international players.”

Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur (Image: Twitter)

Anjum Chopra also said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises want Women’s IPL, but the parent body will have to make the way for it. She also mentioned that BCCI can definitely organise a women’s IPL with 5 or 6 teams if they can increase the number of teams in the men’s IPL.

It’s not the franchises in India that do not want to do a Women’s IPL. It’s the parent body that needs to lead the way. And for the same franchises to go ahead and take on the Women’s team. If the BCCI can increase the size of the IPL from 8 to 10, I’m sure we can have a structured plan for initiating a women’s IPL. It may not be eight teams to 10 teams, it can be just five or six or even four teams. But in a very structured manner. 

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Indian Premier League (IPL) IPL Women's IPL