Women's Indian Premier League Likely To Start In November, Says President Sourav Ganguly

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly confirmed that the board has said yes to the third season of women's Indian Premier League (IPL). Setting the dates of the much-anticipated women's premier league, the decision was taken at the IPL Governing Council meeting on Sunday and the former India captain also announced that the league may go on the floor between November 1 to 10 2020.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly confirmed to PTI. Before the tournament starts, a special camp for the women's team will also be arranged for further training and practice, Times Now reported.

The nod to the women's IPL comes at a time when the cricketers from the men’s team are already prepping for the IPL matches, slated to be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date are uncertain) in the UAE. It is moved to another country due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in India. The women’s IPL will also be fitted into the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

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"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers — be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous. The NCA also remained shut because of COVID-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that." Ganguly said ending weeks of speculation about the future of Harmanpreet Kaur's power-packed team.

“The women’s Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that,” Hindustan Times reported.

Also Read: Mithali Raj To Write Her Memoir

The board was initially taking the heat for not giving much attention to women's cricket. The first season of women's IPL took place on May 22, 2018. In 2019, it received much-needed attention from the entire nation when three teams participated in the four-match tournament in Jaipur.  Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana led the three teams.

“Women’s IPL will definitely happen and women’s cricket is as much a priority for the BCCI. We will add a team and make it with 4 teams," Ganguly told India Today. "The idea is to have a full fledged tournament down the line once things improve. We will also do a camp for the women players and ensure they are properly prepared for the tournament,” he assured.

Also Read: Need Women’s Indian Premier League: Mithali Raj

Feature Image Credit: Official IPL page/Twitter

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