What’s the road ahead for Women’s T20 Challenge?
IPL Governing Council chairman, Brijesh Patel, did not specify whether the women’s tournament will finally get a go-ahead this year, but admitted that the matter will be deliberated in next week’s GC meeting.
Published : Jul 24, 2020 15:02 IST
The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council (GC) chairman Brijesh Patel on Friday told Sportstar that the future of the Women’s T20 Challenge will be up for discussion in the GC meeting next week.
“We will be discussing all those matters (regarding the tournament) in the meeting,” Patel said. While he did not specify whether the women’s tournament will finally get a go-ahead this year, the seasoned administrator stated that the possibilities will be deliberated ‘keeping all factors in mind’.
With the Women's Big Bash League scheduled to be played between October 17 and November 29, the overseas players won't be available. So, that makes the future of the tournament further uncertain. However, the Board is confident of going ahead with the tournament, sometime in November.
The Indian women's cricket team was scheduled to travel to England for a triangular series in September, but the BCCI called off the tour recently. In an ideal world, the Women’s T20 Challenge League comprising four teams would have been played at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. But the coronavirus pandemic stalled all plans.
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While the Board officials remained non-committal about the chances of hosting the tournament this year, those in the know of things insist that it could be a logistical challenge if at all the tournament is planned. “It looks very tough. There is already so many logistical issues since the IPL will be held abroad, so before taking any decision, everything has to be kept in mind,” a senior official said.
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In a release on February 29, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had stated that as part of its ongoing commitment to grow the women’s game, “BCCI is pleased to announce the 2020 Women’s T20 Challenge. The tournament which started in 2018 and was a huge success, further garnered all the right eyeballs in the year to follow.”
A full-fledged Women’s T20 Challenge was a success in 2019, where three teams played in Jaipur.