An IPL For Women? BCCI Confirms Match Ahead Of Play-Offs This Year
In a significant move towards the better prospects for women’s cricket in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that there will be a T20 exhibition match for women on the lines of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) held ahead of the play-offs for the current season on 22 May at the Wankhede cricket stadium in Mumbai, reports The Times of India.
The IPL governing council has sanctioned a match that will see four foreign players in each team that will start at 2.30 pm on the day of the first qualifier of the 2018 season of the IPL.
The BCCI has been actively considering a women’s T20 tournament for a while on the lines of the existing tournament for men in India. The proposal has gained significant momentum following the success of similar tournaments across the globe – notably the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia that has seen several Indian women such as Harmanpreet Kaur and Veda Krishnamurthy participate.
Head of the BCCI Committee of Administrators (CoA) Vinod Rai has said that the match will be a ‘precursor’ to a women’s tournament over the years.
It (exhibition match) will be on the lines of the IPL. Totally there will be 10 foreign players and 20 Indian players across both teams. The Indian players will be picked by the national selection committee and the game, which will start at 2.30 pm, will be shown live.Former Indian cricketer and CoA memer Diana Edulji
Reports suggest that the BCCI has contacted the cricketing boards of Australia, England and South Africa to ensure their players’ availability. The names of players is likely to be made public soon.
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