Women’s T20 IPL-style tournament to start from this month in Mumbai

In its attempt to ensure a major development for the organisation of Women IPL-style tournament in India, the BCCI is all geared up to organise an exhibition women’s T20 match on May 22 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

According to the sources, the T20 match has been approved by the IPL Governing Council. The teams will include four foreign players. The match is said to be telecasted live from 2:30 pm on the day of the first qualifier of IPL 2018.

It is the massive success of IPL matches which has made BCCI consider organising a similar tournament for women cricketers. Various other successful leagues like the Women’s Big Bash League [WBBL] in Australia have driven the calls for the Indian cricket board to push for the women T20 league, have set a standard for the same.

There have been reports of BCCI mulling over replicating the success of IPL by organising a similar tournament for women cricketers. The progress made by other such leagues around the world including the Women’s Big Bash League [WBBL] in Australia have driven the calls for the Indian cricket board to push for the women T20 league.

“It (exhibition match) will be on the lines of the IPL. Totally there will be 10 foreign players and 20 Indian players across both teams. The Indian players will be picked by the national selection committee and the game, which will start at 2.30 pm, will be shown live,” said Diana Edulji, Committee of Administrators (CoA) member and former India cricketer.

According to Vinod Rai, Head of Committee of Administrators (CoA), the event will be a precursor to a “women’s IPL tournament in a couple of years.”

The list of team players will be out in a couple of days. The BCCI has already asked the cricket boards of England, Australia and South Africa to make their players available for the T20 match.