The BCCI plans to start the women’s IPL by 2023, chief executive Sourav Ganguly said on Friday, while four exhibition games this season return after a year-long hiatus.
The BCCI, which has been criticized in the past for not starting the Women’s IPL, needs AGM approval to start the league next season.
The board plans to have five or six teams in the inaugural edition.
“It (full women’s IPL) must be approved by the AGM. We plan to start doing that hopefully next year,” BCCI President Sourav Ganguly told reporters after Friday’s IPL Governing Board meeting here.
In an interview with PTI in February, Ganguly said that women’s IPL will be introduced in 2023.
IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel also made it clear that there will be four games for the three women’s teams centered around the men’s IPL playoffs this season.
“There will be four games involving three teams around the time of the playoffs,” Patel said after the meeting.
With the second half of the IPL being moved to the UAE due to the pandemic, the exhibition matches did not take place last year. However, they were hosted in the UAE in 2020 when IPL Trailblazers won the title.
According to Patel, there would be five or six teams in the Women’s IPL, but that too would have to be approved by the general assembly.
The most likely venue for the women’s exhibition games is Pune.
The IPL begins on Saturday with the defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the legendary Wankhede Stadium.
IPL MEDIA RIGHTS
The issue of IPL media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle was also discussed by the Governing Council.
“The tender will be published soon,” said a member of the Governing Council.
Star India had paid a whopping Rs.16,347.5 crore for the 2018-2022 cycle. With the league rising in popularity and the addition of two new teams, this figure could reach a staggering Rs 40,000 crore for the upcoming five year cycle.
Companies interested in securing the rights to India Cricket’s hottest property include Reliance-backed Viacom 18, current rights holders Disney Star, Sony (who paid Rs 8200 for nine years in 2009) and the Streaming giant Amazon, which could bid for the digital rights.
