BCCI is offering a six-team Women’s IPL from next year. At a Governing Council meeting of the IPL in Mumbai on 25th of March 25, a decision was taken that endeavours will be made to start a franchise-based annual T20 tourney for women cricketers from 2023.
The GC members, who met in person for the very first time in almost two years, decided to give the first priority to the existing IPL franchises to own the teams. Outsiders will be invited to bid for the franchises once that option has been ended.
Describing the idea, a GC member notified that the practicality of a six-team league will be explored, beginning with finding a suitable window. “Obviously, running the event alongside the men’s IPL may not be possible. The details will be worked out in the coming days and approval of the AGM will be sought,” the GC member explained. This year, he vouched, the Women’s T20 Challenge, with three teams (four games), will be played during the business-end of the IPL, most probably in Ahmedabad. It was not conducted last year.
A BCCI office-bearer said that it is the responsibility of the board to commence the women’s league, no matter what its financial possibility is. The GC is persuaded by the sponsorship for the Women’s T20 Challenge in 2020, when Jio had paid INR 12 crore for the title rights.
The BCCI has been pressured to initiate the Women’s IPL for quite some time. With Cricket West Indies (CWI) deciding to launch a three-team league from this year, apace with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also making similar steps, it has become mandatory for the BCCI to speed up the Women’s IPL.
