The women’s T20 exhibition matches will be held during the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) decided on Monday.
Top BCCI officials have told Sportstar that there could be a total of four games and the three participating teams will square off against each other in a round-robin league.
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While the venues of the play-offs are still not finalised, it is believed that the fixtures could be held either in Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Visakhapatnam. If Chennai hosts the playoffs and the IPL final, then the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium could also host the women’s fixtures.
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“Keeping the logistical issues in mind, we are looking at playing all the matches in a single venue. However, it all depends on where the IPL playoffs and the final are finally held,” a BCCI official said.
Last year, the one-off Women’s T20 Challenge was held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai ahead of the IPL Qualifier. Two teams — Supernovas and Trailblazers — had featured in the tournament. Despite top players featuring in the game and the match telecast live on television, half the stands were empty mainly because it had a 2pm start.
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This time, overseas players from nearly six countries will feature in the tournament. Last year, the Board had only invited players from Australia, England and New Zealand, apart from India regulars.
“This time, we have shortlisted nearly 27 players now and are in the process of finalising things. We hope to get a clearer picture in the next few days,” the Board official said.
He hinted that the matches could start around 8pm. However, a final call is yet to be taken.
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