Female spectators will receive free entry to all three women’s T20 internationals between India and Zimbabwe at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur. The matches are scheduled for October 16, 18 and 20, with each game beginning at 7 pm. The decision followed a suggestion from Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, according to a Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) source. The association announced the initiative on social media on Thursday and urged women fans to attend in large numbers to support India for all three scheduled evening fixtures in Raipur.
A CSCS source told IANS that Sai suggested free entry after association office-bearers invited him to watch the T20I series. The source said, “The Chhattisgarh CM suggested free ticketing for female spectators yesterday when he was invited to watch the T20I games by the state association. This happened because of the CM’s suggestion, as one cannot refuse the CM’s suggestion.” The source also linked the plan to the festive season, saying, “Navratri is also going on, and having as many female spectators as possible in the T20I matches will add more spark to the festive season in Raipur.” The move is intended to encourage women to attend.
The invitation to Sai came from CSCS president Mohan Das, director Vijay Shah, former president Mukul Tiwari and secretary Vintesh Agrawal. G S Murthy, Vinay Bajaj and other office-bearers were also involved. The series marks the start of Smriti Mandhana’s tenure as India’s full-time captain. It is also Zimbabwe’s first bilateral series against India. Raipur will host a women’s international match for the first time, making the T20Is a first for the city.
All three matches will be played on October 16, 18 and 20, and each is set to start at 7 pm. After the T20Is, India and Zimbabwe will move to Vadodara for a three-match women’s ODI series from October 23 to 28. The free-entry plan gives female fans a chance to watch the Indian team without paying for tickets. The association has urged women to fill the stands and cheer for India during the series, which falls during Navratri.
Surat will host Elite Group A matches in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, which were originally scheduled for New Delhi. The change was made because Delhi does not have enough available grounds for the fixtures. Arun Jaitley Stadium is set to undergo drainage and pitch upgrades, while Palam Grounds are occupied with Ranji Trophy matches. With red-ball games also taking place, there were not enough grounds in the capital for the tournament.
CK Pithawala Ground and Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat will host the Elite Group A fixtures from October 26. A source familiar with the development told IANS, “Delhi did not have the grounds due to red ball games also running simultaneously. Surat will host the group games and the change is also visible on the BCCI website.” Elite Group A includes reigning champions Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, Goa, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Assam. The venue change allows the domestic fixtures to go ahead in Surat while Delhi’s grounds are unavailable.
The free-entry decision puts women’s cricket in focus ahead of India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe. It gives female spectators a chance to support India during Navratri and marks Raipur’s first women’s international match. The series begins Mandhana’s full-time captaincy before both teams travel to Vadodara for the ODI leg. Meanwhile, Surat will host the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy group games from October 26 after the fixtures moved from New Delhi because of ground availability.
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