The BCCI has been under pressure to put together an IPL-style tournament for women ever since the Indian team reached final of the 2017 World Cup. (Source: AP File)
India will be looking to launch a woman’s IPL within the next three years, Committee of Administrators head Vinod Rai said on Tuesday. “We are planning to get a women’s IPL in place in two to three years,” Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) administrator Vinod Rai is quoted as saying. No further details have emerged of the potential league.
The BCCI has been under pressure to put together an IPL-style tournament for women ever since the Indian team reached final of the 2017 World Cup. However, a women’s T20 exhibition match has been sanctioned ahead of the IPL playoff that will be held on May 22. The match will be between an Indian team and a team that will feature players from Australia, England and South Africa. “The match to be played between a BCCI XI and IPL XI will take place ahead of the first (men’s IPL) playoff at the Wankhede Stadium,” said Rai.
Indian captain Mithali Raj had said in March that it may not be the right time to hold a women’s IPL because of the lack of a pool of players. “It’s important to have a pool of players who will be qualified to play an IPL-type of league,” the 35-year-old said. “We have just started with India A tours and formation of an A team since coming back from the World Cup. It will take a couple of years to get our second string side in place. Once we have those many players then I think it will be wise enough to have a women’s IPL. There is a stark difference between an international player and domestic player and so an IPL may go against promoting women’s cricket.”