CoA turns down RCB request for mixed-gender T20

Committee of Administrators (CoA) has turned down Royal Challengers Bangalore's request to conduct the mixed gender T20 match, citing that the BCCI rules don’t allow contracted players to be part of exhibition games.

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli had featured in promotions for the mixed gender T20 game that was expected to be played after the World Cup.

For the last couple of months, there were promotions for the mixed-gender T20 fixture, featuring Virat Kohli, Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj.

But the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has turned down Royal Challengers Bangalore's — which was organising the event — request to conduct the fixture, citing that the BCCI rules don’t allow contracted players to be part of exhibition games.

"It was part of a promotional campaign launched by the brand's sports drink. But since our policy doesn't allow players to feature in exhibition games, we had to refuse permission," one of the BCCI officials told  Sportstar  late on Friday.

The franchise ran a campaign #ChallengeAccepted on television and other social media platforms and had even issued a statement in April quoting RCB captain Kohli: “Be it men or women, cricket is one game, and I want to urge fans to break the boundaries that exist in their mind that divides the sport by gender. Equality in sports is ultimately a reflection of equality in life, and if we want a better tomorrow, then we need to say #ChallengeAccepted and start breaking down all stereotypes."

However, the dates for the fixture weren't announced then.