In June 2024, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approved the Delhi & District Cricket Association’s (DDCA) plans to organize the Delhi Premier League (DPL). With this approval, the DDCA joins the growing list of state associations with their own T20 leagues. However, to date, only the Bengal Pro T20 League and the Maharashtra Premier League have included a women’s tournament.
As per News18 CricketNext’s report, the DDCA Joint Secretary Rajan Manchanda confirmed that the BCCI approved the tournament last week. He expressed gratitude towards the board for granting permission to organise the competition.
“We are thankful to the BCCI for granting us the permission to hold the DPL,” Manchanda said.
In May 2024, the DDCA submitted a request to the BCCI seeking approval to host its premier league, which will feature a state T20 tournament for both men and women. The proposal to host the league was approved during the DDCA’s recent Apex Council meeting.
The Times of India (TOI) reports that the DDCA is finalizing the structure of the league and seeking interested investors to purchase franchises.
The DDCA has also proposed to begin the women’s tournament alongside the men’s competition, which is expected to significantly boost the women’s game. According to Manchanda, “The request also includes the permission to start the women’s league. Most likely there would be eight & six teams and apart from this we will also have the auctions.”
DDCA president Rohan Jaitley explained that the decision to organize the women’s league stemmed from the realization that having only a men’s league was insufficient. He emphasized that women’s cricket in India is on the rise, and such leagues are crucial for their development as cricketers. Reflecting on the successful hosting of the WPL earlier this year, Jaitley stated that it was the right time to introduce the women’s league.
“We have decided to organize the women’s league because it doesn’t make any sense to just have the men’s league. Women’s cricket in India is taking off and such leagues can only bolster their growth as cricketers. We successfully hosted the WPL here this year. It’s the right time to roll out the women’s league this year,” DDCA president Rohan Jaitley said to TOI.
While there is no confirmed start date or schedule for the competition yet, the DDCA aims to complete it before September 15 this year, just before the domestic season gets going.
“Within a week, we are going to call the tenders to execute the DPL. We have a target of completing the tournament before 15th September,” Manchanda said.
In a recent update, Jaitley confirmed that the DDCA has approved the league to commence in August and conclude before September 15th.
“We are going ahead with the league. The modalities are being worked out. But the aim is to start the league by the end of Aug and finish it before Sept 15,” Jaitley said to TOI.
Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium will conduct the DPL, it was renovated last year. It also along with M. Chinnaswamy Stadium hosted the Women’s Premier League 2024.
“We are thankful to the board for giving us the platform. We have proved ourselves during the World Cup and now we again have the opportunity to show the cricket fraternity how we are going to conduct our DPL in the newly constructed stadium,” Manchanda said.
(Quotes sourced from News18 CricketNext and The Times of India)
