Lucknow likely to host Women’s T20 Challenge
LUCKNOW: Lucknowites are likely to see top women cricketers of the country in action here next month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has “decided” to hold the fourth edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge, also known as the Women’s IPL from May 24 to 29 in Lucknow under the lights, according to people familiar with the issue.
An official announcement to this effect is likely to be made soon. The move comes when Lucknowites are missing the action of the newly inducted Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing Indian Premier League on their home turf at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here this season as matches of the cash-rich league are taking place in Mumbai and Pune only.
“It was already decided to hold the event (Women’s T20 Challenge) this year in May, but the venue was not confirmed. But given the conditions, the league could be conducted in Lucknow,” a BCCI official said on condition of anonymity on Friday.
In February, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had confirmed that the Women’s T20 Challenge will be held in May. The event, which commenced from 2018, was also conducted successfully in 2019, and 2020. It was called off in 2021, due to India’s tour of Australia during the same period.
Sources also confirmed the Women’s T20 Challenge will be held during the IPL playoffs. “Scheduling the Women’s T20 Challenge during the IPL playoffs will help the women’s cricket generate more viewership as well as coverage. In 2021, when women’s Hundred was played alongside the men’s Hundred, it attracted a good viewership, so something similar can be expected going into this year’s IPL and Women’s T20 Challenge,” he further said.
The three teams that take
part in the Women’s T20 Challenge are Supernovas, Trailblazers and Velocity. Supernovas led by Harmanpreet Kaur have won twice and Trailblazers led by Smriti Mandhana have won once.
A total of 45 players are expected to feature during the event, including players from West Indies, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Thailand. The latest edition was played in 2020 in the UAE and saw a total of four matches being played. Every team played two matches. The top two teams played the final. In March, the IPL Governing Council proposed a fullfledged tournament involving Indian and overseas players as part of six teams in the Women’s IPL in 2023. “It has to be approved by the AGM. We plan to start it by next year hopefully,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had said.
IPL MATCHES
Sources also confirmed that due to non-availability of an adequate number of hotel rooms in the state capital, Lucknow missed the hosting rights for two matches of the ongoing IPL.
“One play-off and a semi-final were proposed to be played in May at the Ekana Stadium here, but due to the non-availability of the adequate number of hotel rooms, we missed out the two IPL matches here,” said an official of Ekana Stadium, preferring anonymity.
“To maintain the bio-bubble, the organisers wanted 110 rooms in one hotel in the state capital, but none of the hotels has free space in that period,” he said.
He, however, said the Lucknow stadium is part of the Road Safety World Series matches this season from June 4 to July 3 along with Indore and Jodhpur. The event is expected to see former greats in action, including master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Virendra Sehwag and Jonty Rhodes.