Sourav Ganguly Gives Timeline For Start Of Full-Fledged Women's IPL

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said that the board is "at the level of formulation" for a full-fledged women's Indian Premier League (IPL). Responding to query in an interview with news agency PTI, the former Indian cricket team captain said that a women's IPL "is certainly going to happen". Ganguly also gave a timeline for the start of the competition. "We are at the level of formulation to have a full-fledged WIPL. It is certainly going to happen. I strongly believe that next year i.e. 2023 will be a very good time to start a full-fledged women's IPL which will be as big and grand a success as men's IPL," Ganguly said in the interview.

The Women's T20 Challenge, involving three teams, has already been played annually since 2018 alongside the men's IPL tournament.

Some of India's top women stars also play in T20 leagues outside India like the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) and the T20 Blast.

The Indian team had reached the final of the Women's T20 World Cup in 2020, finishing runners-up to Australia in the tournament. India's impressive performance in the tournament had led to calls for a full-fledged women's IPL.

Meanwhile, India batter Smriti Mandhana was last month named the ICC Women's Cricketer of 2021 after a stellar year in international cricket.

Promoted

Mandhana was also named in the ICC Women's T20I Team of the Year.

Recently, 90 players were picked in the draft for the inaugural edition of the Bengal Women's T20 Blast, organised by the Cricket association of Bengal (CAB).