Twitter/ANI
In an enormous boost to women’s cricket, BCCI is planning to conduct the women’s IPL on March 2023. The top cricket body will conduct the tournament after the Women’s T20 World Cup is concluded. The ICC event is held in South Africa until February 26.
According to the reports,
BCCI is planning to have five teams for the inaugural season of Women's IPL. #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/DV9HEvjYoh
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) October 13, 2022
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A total of 22 matches and five teams are planned for the big event. Each squad will comprise 18 players and six of them are from overseas. As per the rules, a total of five overseas players can feature in the playing eleven. Meanwhile, the BCCI devised the IPL plan. They sent it to the state associations for review.
How women’s IPL will work?
The WIPL is most likely to clash with the Women’s Pakistan Super League. Interestingly, it is also having its inaugural season this year. Each team will play the others twice in the league phase. The league topper will qualify for the final. Meanwhile, the second finalist will be decided by an eliminator between the second and third-ranked teams.
According to reports, WOMEN'S IPL is likely to take place in March 2023 – after the T20 World Cup.
◾️ 5 overseas players in the XI (4 from ICC Full Member nations, 1 from Associate Nation)
◾️ 20 league games
◾️ 2 venues#WIPL #WIPL2023 #WomensIPL pic.twitter.com/F9CdpXDnHX— Women's CricInsight | #WBBL #WomensAsiaCup (@WCI_Official) October 13, 2022
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The WIPL is suggested to play in caravan style. This format would mean ten matches to be hosted in one venue, the next ten to be hosted in another venue, etc. The BCCI will sell five franchises from each zone. A final decision on the IPL will be taken by the IPL Governing Council chairman, soon.
A need of the hour
In the past, several women cricketers, such as Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, batted for the need to have WIPL. They suggested it will develop the sport in India. A women’s T20 challenge, which featured three teams, and ran across five days, was held as part of the IPL for the past few seasons.
So, PCB launched franchise based T20 league for women before full fledged Women IPL announcement by BCCI #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/ONHgrqib3M
— 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙮𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙎 (@ps26_11) October 7, 2022
However, a tournament of such a small stature was not enough to tap the rich cricket talent possessed in the country. However, an IPL would boost the game and its players with more exposure. It could also lead to more quality cricketing talents in the future, believes the fans.
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