BCCI Set To Host IPL-Inspired T20 League For Women Cricketers

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Jay Shah, has recently revealed that the board is working towards launching a T20 league for women cricketers which is inspired by the Indian Premier League (IPL) format. The announcement was made during Shah’s interview with the Hindustan Times.

“We all want a league like IPL for our women cricketers, but it is not just about putting together three or four teams and announcing the launch of a women’s IPL league,” Shah said in the interview. “There are a lot of factors that come into play, like a dedicated window, availability of international stars and bilateral commitments of member boards to name a few. We are exploring all our options and working towards organising a similar league for our female players in future,” he added.

The move comes on the heels of the brilliant performance given by Indian women cricketers this year. Eight Indian women cricketers were a part of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) held in Australia in 2021. At that event, Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s T20 captain, had won the Player of the Series award.

Women cricketers from India and around the world have also recently urged the BCCI to launch an IPL-like league to help the national team develop its game. The list in support of this move includes Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and even international stars like Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr, all of whom have said that such a tournament would be the next big step in the growth of women’s cricket.

*Image used for representative purpose.