After talks of starting the Women's Indian Premier League (WIPL) began at the last Governing Council Meeting, a top source within The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told Sports Tak that the tournament is on and is slated to happen from 2023.
"The Women's IPL is very much on from next year (2023). We are already working on the plan, how many teams we can have and what window is going to suit us because we have men's IPL as well. As of now can't share much of the details but yes, we are really excited for this league," the source said.
The tournament is slated to have six teams before India's Apex cricket council kick off the auction process, the source confirmed, "Some franchises have already shown interest and are very keen to be part of this tournament. We are planning to have six teams to start with, the auction process and other important aspects of the tournament."
According to the source, the tentative window that might suit the WIPL is seen as August. However, prior to that, there are still a lot of details to iron out. "As of now, everything is just on paper. It will take time to streamline everything. There are many aspects that need to be taken care of, proper planning, auctions, teams, etc. But yes, we might start the Women's IPL in August, but again it's completely tentative.
"Once everything is discussed, we will make an official announcement. The matter will also be discussed in the Annual General Meeting to stamp it officially," the source added.
Earlier in March, the IPL Governing Council proposed a full-fledged tournament involving Indian and overseas players from the women's game. Even the GC chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed the development. "The process is on," Patel said, adding that this year, a three-team women's T20 Challenge will be held in Pune in May, during the playoffs."
