A three-team Women’s IPL is all set to take place in the UAE. A four-match tournament to be played during the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs. While the decision was taken during the IPL Governing Council (GC) meeting on Sunday (August 2), the dates and others will be discussed soon.
“Yes, we are looking at this and a three-team women’s IPL is set to be proposed during the governing council meeting. We have always had the women’s T20 matches during the knockout stages of the IPL and we will look at a similar window this time as well,” the source related to the developments said to IANS.
Earlier on Sunday (August 2), BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed that the Women’s IPL or the Women’s T20 Challenge is “very much on” to Press Trust of India. With this, the speculation of not having a plan for Indian Women’s Cricket to the BCCI has also ended.
“I can confirm to you that the women’s IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also,” Ganguly told PTI before the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League was shifted to the UAE due to increasing number of COVID-19 cases in India and the BCCI is also planning to cut short Women’s IPL as well. However, it’s been two years now that the BCCI has been organising the tournament which is better known as Women’s T20 Challenge.
While the one-off exhibition match played between Supernovas and Trailblazers in 2018 in Mumbai, one more team was added in 2019 – Team Velocity. With three teams and four matches, the tournament became successful. This year it was about to be a four-team tournament but COVID-19 pandemic put a halt in every sporting event across the globe.
Earlier the Indian team was scheduled to travel to England for a tri-series involving South Africa but later the BCCI pulled out the name amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. However, England are eyeing to host South Africa for a bilateral series.
However, Sourav Ganguly further added that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp before the Women’s IPL which has been delayed owing to the COVID-19 situation in the country.
“We couldn’t have exposed any of our cricketers — be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous,” Ganguly said. “The NCA also remained shut because of COVID-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that.”
