The World of Women’s Cricket is set to get a big boost as IPL Governing Council on Friday, March 25th proposed BCCI to design and develop a structure for the establishment of a full-fledged Women’s IPL from 2023. It’s expected that a private firm will be given the task to design the business plan for the new league as the council believes it’s the right time to start a Women’s IPL.
BCCI has planned to reach out to the current IPL franchises and look out for interested parties who are willing to become a part of Women’s IPL. Even if the franchises show interest, they have to follow the rules and submit a formal bid. As per the current scenario, 3 franchises are interested in being a part of the Women’s IPL with another franchise trying to explore the market.
Speaking about the current IPL franchises planning to be a part of Women’s IPL, a board official said, “The women’s cricket landscape is changing for sure and it is not surprising that the IPL teams want to be part of it. Having established their brands already, having a women’s team will only add more value to it.”
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Currently, BCCI is looking to start off with a 6 team Women’s IPL. There has been discussions about an 8 team format. But, it’s believed that the quality of the league will be affected if there’s an 8 team as the women’s talent pool is not as big as men’s and has to be grown.
“It is too early to arrive at a number. Once all the formalities are done, then we will finalize the details. But given the landscape, there is a definite possibility of having up to six teams. The board can replicate the IPL model or go for a fresh one. If more than six IPL teams show interest and if any other party from the outside also wants to be involved, then it changes the whole dynamics,” the official added.
There is a huge chance of Women’s IPL not happening alongside men’s IPL in April-May as it falls under its shadow. BCCI is planning to organize the event in September-October during the festival season in India. Once the business model is ready, BCCI will be discussing this in the Annual General Meeting in September, and preparations for the first Women’s IPL will be rolling.
Overall, this news is huge for Women’s world cricket as it will give a lot of up-and-coming talents a great platform to showcase their skills. Let’s hope everything goes as per plan and Women’s IPL finally becomes a reality.
Source: Venkata Krishna B for New Indian Express
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