Reports | Women’s exhibition games to get prime-time slot during IPL play-offs

During the last year's IPL, the BCCI had organised a one-off Women's T20 Challenge at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, as a curtain-raiser to the first IPL Qualifier, and comprised two teams - the IPL Supernovas and the IPL Trailblazers. This time, the governing body has decided to repeat the same exercise but will give the match a prime-time slot to attract more viewers.

“Like last year, the sole window we have is during the play-offs. But a lot depends on the election dates. We are waiting for the Election Commission of India to announce the full schedule of the general elections and once that happens, we will finalise the schedule for the women’s games. A 7 pm start on days when the IPL games are not held makes more sense that staging them in the afternoon when not many people are likely to turn up again,” the official told PTI. 

“Logistically and even considering the players’ pool we have, the best of three games between two teams seem a lot more doable than forming three teams. The quality of the competition can’t be compromised and that is one of the reasons why a women’s IPL can’t be organised at the moment,” the official said.

Last year, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana led the IPL Supernovas and the IPL Trailblazers respectively with Supernovas clinching the thriller by three wickets, with New Zealand's Suzie Bates winning the Player-of-the-Match award for her all-round performance. The match had renowned overseas players of the likes of Australia's Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy, England's Danielle Wyatt and Danielle Hazell, and New Zealand's Sophie Devine and Lea Tahuhu.