The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to organise a multi-day domestic tournament for India's women's cricket team to be held in Pune, starting from March 29. This much-awaited competition will showcase teams from six zones - East, West, North, South, Central, and NorthEast - engaging in five matches. This tournament comes right after the Women's Premier League (WPL), ending on March 17.
Women's Red-ball tournament to kick off from March 29
The red-ball tournament will commence with two quarterfinals on March 29, 30, and 31, followed by two semifinals set for April 5, 6, and 7, with both rounds likely happening simultaneously. The tournament will culminate in the grand final on April 9, 10, and 11. The teams that will directly enter the semifinals have not been revealed yet.
This three-day event is set to be a crucial test for both the participating star players and the BCCI. It aims to evaluate the board's capability to motivate players to engage in domestic competitions, paralleling the efforts made to ensure male cricketers give importance to domestic events like the Ranji Trophy, alongside the IPL and international fixtures.
With Indian women cricketers recently participating in Test matches, it's clear that the BCCI is keen on establishing a domestic framework for women's multi-day cricket.
Hence, there's a planned 11-day hiatus between the two tournaments to ensure that Indian cricketers, both those playing domestically and those with central contracts, have sufficient time to rest and prepare for the challenges of red-ball cricket.
WPL 2024's thrill on a roll
The Women's Premier League (WPL)'s second season has begun impressively. This six-team league has already delivered several nail-biting matches and looks set to continue delivering thrilling performances. Delhi Capitals (DC) lead the pack with four points, having secured victories in two of their first three matches. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) also have four points each but trail behind DC when it comes to net run rate (NRR).
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