The Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) may begin as early as next year, as the Indian cricket board (BCCI) is working on delivering the tournament “soon”.
While there is a three-team Women’s T20 Challenge that runs alongside the men’s IPL, many believe the women deserve their own tournament with more teams and players.
However, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said that things would soon change for the Women’s T20 Challenge this year.
Shah told Reuters in an email: “The BCCI is not only sincere, but is also taking all the necessary steps to start a full-fledged women’s league soon.”
“The huge interest among fans and players in the Women’s T20 Challenge is a positive sign and we are all committed to making it happen.”
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire 2020 edition and the second half of last year’s tournament were held in the United Arab Emirates.
This year’s IPL will begin in the last week of March, and Shah was confident that the 10-team league will be staged in India this year.
“Conditions were different in the last couple of years, and we were able to keep the show going under difficult conditions by shifting it to the UAE.
It appears likely that we will be able to stage the event in India this year if the COVID-19 situation is favorable. I am pretty optimistic about that.”
In the presence of spectators, the board will “wait and watch,” he said, based on COVID-19 guidelines.
According to Ramiz Raja, chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), an annual T20 tournament would include teams from India, England, and Australia.
Expanding the game was more important than such a “commercial initiative”, Shah said.
“With the IPL window expanding and the ICC (global) events every year in the cycle, our primary responsibility is to safeguard bilateral cricket at home, with emphasis on test cricket,” he added.
“I am also looking forward to seeing cricket at the Olympics, as that will help the game grow.
“Expansion of the sport is a challenge that our game faces and we must prioritise it over any short-term commercial initiative.”
