BCCI keen to launch women's IPL in 2023

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to launch a full-fledged women's Indian Premier League (IPL) as early as next year. This was informed by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.

“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,” Jay Shah told Reuters in an email. He also added that he is looking forward to seeing cricket at the Olympics, as that will help the game grow.

While a three-team Women's T20 Challenge is staged alongside men's IPL, many are of the opinion that the women players deserve their own expanded tournament of IPL with more teams and players. The Women's T20 Challenge is being conducted every year since 2018.

Women's IPL Significance

Former England captain Michael Vaughan had taken to Twitter recently saying that the women's IPL should be a top priority now. 

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had also stated in an interview earlier that the women's IPL is certainly going to happen, and 2023 will be a very good time to start the competition. 

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirmed that though the Women's T20 Challenge will continue this year, things would change soon.

He noted that 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.

Indian Premier League

The entire 2020 IPL edition and second half of the 2021 IPL edition was hosted in the United Arab Emirates as India struggled with the COVID crisis. The tournament was hosted amid the COVID-19 pandemic with utmost safety and precaution.

This year's IPL edition will involve ten teams and it is scheduled to begin in the last week of March. Both BCCI President and Secretary Jay Shah are confident of hosting the 10-team league in India this time.

Shah said that 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 BCCI has also decided to wait to take a final decision on the presence of spectators in the upcoming IPL edition, depending on the prevailing Covid-19 guidelines.

Background

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja had recently put forward the idea of an annual T20 tournament featuring India, England and Australia.