The BCCI plans to launch a women’s IPL by 2023, board president Sourav Ganguly said on Friday, while the Women’s T20 Challenge, which consists of four games, returns this season after a one-year hiatus. The T20 was not conducted last year because the second part of the IPL was moved to the UAE due to the pandemic.
In the inaugural edition, the board intends to have five or six teams. The existing 10 men’s IPL franchises will have first refusal to purchase the women’s IPL teams. It is learnt that at least four men’s IPL franchises are interested in knowing from the BCCI what is on the table in case they want to invest in the WIPL (Women’s Indian Premiere League).
“The AGM can approve it [the full-fledged women’s IPL. We aim to begin it before the end of next year,” Ganguly informed reporters post the IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai on Friday.
“There will be four matches involving three teams around the time of the men’s playoffs,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel revealed after the meeting.
On the eve of their final league game, India Women’s opener Shafali Verma, who is presently in New Zealand for the World Cup, said: “Of course, it’s being reported that a six-team women’s IPL would be held next year, which is a fantastic idea. All of our female players, even domestic cricketers, will gain a lot of knowledge, which is a great thing. Mumbai Indians is my favourite IPL team. I like watching them play and have learned a lot from them.”
South Africa’s Chloe Tryon stated that, “We understand what it’s like to play in India. We’ve seen how the crowds behave. It’s fantastic. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. I’m hoping to be able to play; we’ll see how it goes. But it’s a tremendous time for women’s cricket. And, as you can see, the World Cup is attracting a lot of interest, and I’m grateful that they (the BCCI) are looking into it and putting women’s cricket on the map. So, it’s a lot of fun.”
The men’s IPL started on Saturday with Kolkata Knight Riders winning the inaugural match against the defending champion Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.
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