The BCCI secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that the plans for a full-fledged Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) are near completion and the tournament will begin soon. He added that the earliest a Women’s IPL might begin is from next year onwards.

A three-team Women's T20 Challenge is staged alongside the men's IPL, but many believe women deserve their own expanded tournament with more teams and players.

Shah said that though the Women’s T20 challenge will be played this year alongside the IPL 2022 playoffs, things will change for women cricketers in terms of a full IPL.

"I want to assure you that BCCI is not only sincere but is taking all necessary steps to start a full-fledged women's league similar to the IPL soon. The huge interest among fans and players towards the women's T20 Challenge is an encouraging sign and we are all committed to making it happen," Shah told Reuters in an email.

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Jay Shah also said that the board will ‘wait and watch’ on being asked about allowing crowds in the stadiums for the upcoming IPL 2022 tournament, which the BCCI wants to hold in India itself. This year's IPL will begin in the last week of March and Shah was confident of staging the 10-team league in India.

"The circumstances were different in the last couple of years, and we managed to keep the show going under difficult circumstances by shifting it to the UAE. The BCCI is keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 situation in the country and if it is conducive, we will stage the event in India this year and I am pretty hopeful about that. The board would take a "wait and watch approach" on the presence of spectators, depending on COVID-19 guidelines,” he said.

(Reuters inputs)