Women's Challenger tournament set to be held during IPL 2022 playoffs.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to make serious efforts to organize a six-team Women's Indian Premier League (WIPL) from next year after a decision was taken on the same at a governing council meeting on Friday (March 25).
This year though the existing three-team women's challenger tournament is set to be held in Pune around the time of IPL 2022's playoffs.
“It (the full-fledged women’s IPL) has to be approved by the AGM. We plan to start it by next year hopefully,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly told reporters as per Times of India. “The process (to launch the women’s IPL) has started. It could be a five or six team league,” said IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel.
“This year, though, there will be four matches for the Women in the IPL, involving three teams around the time of the playoffs. The venue is likely to be Pune,” Patel said.
As per a Cricbuzz report, the first preference will be to ask the existing IPL franchises if they would like to also have the women's team as well, otherwise efforts will be made to attract other buyers from outside.
The calls for BCCI to introduce the women's IPL have only grown in recent times with Cricket West Indies starting a three-team league and Pakistan Cricket Board also making their plans.
(With Cricbuzz/Times of India inputs)