IPL 2018: Wankhede to host for Women's T20 Challenge ahead of qualifier 1
New Delhi: Top international women players will take part in a Twenty20 exhibition game at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium later this month.
Speaking about the match, Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla, said, “Even as IPL continues to roll like a well-oiled machine, over the last couple of weeks, efforts were made to put in place a similar structure for women cricketers. We were in talks with several Boards and I am pleased with the outcome.
White Ferns captain Suzie Bates, attacking batter Sophie Devine, who holds the record for fastest half-century in women’s T20Is, Australia’s fine all-rounder Ellyse Perry, wicket-keeper bat Alyssa Healy, Megan Schutt and Beth Mooney have confirmed their participation.
Danni Wyatt and Daniel Hazell will add the English flavour. This special game will be played at Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium and will be telecast live in India and across the world”.
Former skipper of India Women's cricket team and member of CoA Diana Edulji said, “We are excited to announce the first-of-its-kind exhibition match involving our women cricketers. BCCI has been pulling out all stops to promote and nurture women’s cricket and this is a small yet significant step towards a prospective league involving women’s stars in the future.
The IPL is the biggest and most popular league in the world and it has been a long-time endeavour to have a women’s league that can match the exuberance of IPL. Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Veda Krishanmurthy among others rubbing shoulders with foreign stars will be a unique experience and something that we have not witnessed here in India.”
BCCI administrator Vinod Rai on Tuesday had said that India aims to launch a women's edition of the popular Indian Premier League cricket tournament in the next three years.
"We are planning to get a women's IPL in place in two to three years," he told AFP.
No firm details of the new league have yet been revealed, but pressure for a women's IPL has been building since India reached the final of the women's World Cup in England last year.
Women cricketers from Australia, England and South Africa will play an Indian team under IPL rules in the May 22 game in Mumbai.
"The match to be played between a BCCI XI and IPL XI will take place ahead of the first (men's IPL) playoff at the Wankhede Stadium," Rai said.
The Mithali Raj-led India lost to England in the World Cup final last year, and received a rapturous welcome on their return. The ratings success of the World Cup prompted the International Cricket Council to promise a greater role for women's cricket.
