The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shortlisted Bengaluru and Delhi as the potential venues for the 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL). Additionally, the BCCI has provisionally scheduled the tournament's second season to be played from February 22 to March 17, 2024.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the initial phase of WPL 2024 is expected to take place in Bengaluru, with Delhi hosting the latter part, including the knockout stages. The decision to divide the 22-match tournament, featuring five teams, between two locations is aimed at maintaining the quality of the pitches for both venues, in preparation for the 2024 IPL, which is due to start on March 22.
The first Women's Premier League (WPL) was inaugurated in 2023 and took place exclusively in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had previously mentioned the desire to host the second season of the WPL in a single state to mitigate the logistical complexities of organizing the tournament across different venues within a tight schedule.
Nonetheless, the BCCI ultimately chose to use two venues for the event. However, with only one major stadium in each Bengaluru (M Chinnaswamy Stadium) and Delhi (Arun Jaitley Stadium), the schedule involves matches being played for 10 consecutive days at each venue. This is a first, as neither the IPL nor the WPL has previously scheduled back-to-back matches at the same venue for more than two days.
The Mumbai Indians, champions of the inaugural edition, are the defending title holders. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, they convincingly defeated the Delhi Capitals in the final with a seven-wicket victory. Following the WPL 2024 mini-auction in Mumbai, all teams have made significant signings and are anticipated to deliver impressive performances in the upcoming tournament.
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