The BCCI is likely to stick to three teams for the Women’s T20 Challenge tournament due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The movement for a full-fledged Women’s IPL has been more vocal than ever in the last few months. Numerous past and present women cricketers have spoken of the need for a proper IPL tournament to develop women’s cricket. Recently, England’s superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes and India’s KL Rahul have also raised their voices.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had planned to expand the Women’s T20 Challenge event to four teams, but it is more likely to stay a three-team affair due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The IPL 2020 was pushed to September-November from its original window of April-May. As a result, the Women’s T20 Challenge directly clashed with WBBL. The Australian women’s cricketers had to miss the tournament in UAE.
“As of now, the plan is to have three teams. A final decision will be taken shortly. There is a good chance that it will be held in Delhi. Talks are on with the leading Australian and England players,”
a BCCI official quoted to PTI on Monday.
The last edition of the T20 Challenge, a four-game event, was held in Sharjah as the IPL play-offs were held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The final decision on the event could be taken on April 16 during BCCI’s Apex Council meeting. The meeting’s main agendas will be the appointment of Indian women’s team support staff and it’s Future Tour Programme.
India women’s team is to play its first Test seven years later in 2021, as announced by BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
They could also tour England and Australia as part of their preparation for the ODI World Cup in New Zealand next year.
The increasing support for women’s IPL
Plenty of sportspeople have raised their voice for the betterment of women’s cricket and how a full-fledged tournament could go a long way in the cause. From England’s Heather Knight to Ben Stokes to India’s Smriti Mandhana have advocated for the women’s IPL in recent times.
“You’ve seen it in Australia with the Big Bash, and hopefully here with the Hundred having men’s and women’s competitions alongside each other, it’s a really positive thing for the women’s game and really helps to progress things. It was really nice to see Ben make those comments.”
Knight said as per ESPNCricinfo.
One of the biggest names in World cricket, Ben Stokes, ahead of the men’s IPL season, said that he would like to see full-fledged women’s franchises in the IPL.
“Yes, I think the women’s game, especially over the last four to five years, has gone from strength to strength and it’s great how it is filtering into the men’s game in terms of [parallel] competitions and things like that. I’m very hopeful there’ll be a women’s franchise side associated with every men’s franchise side so we’re able to grow the women’s game even bigger. What better place to do it than out here in India?”
Ben Stokes spoke on Red Bull’s Decoding Athletes podcast.
India’s superstar Smriti Mandhana was also present on the Red Bull’s podcast and talked about the role women’s IPL can play in boosting players’ confidence. She also said that it’s the right time to start the full-fledged tournament if boards want to grow women’s cricket.
