BCCI may soon go ahead with women's IPL after two new franchises in men's edition: Report

Following the successful bidding of two new men's IPL teams last month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may soon start the women's IPL. According to a report in the Open magazine, if the BCCI's schemes go according to the plan, there will be a women's edition of the IPL, featuring some of the biggest names in world cricket, in no time. According to the report, if the BCCI does decide to start a women's IPL, it will be a competition of 4-5 teams with a total investment of Rs. 1,000 crore in each franchise.

"If BCCI’s plans all fall in place, we will soon see a women’s tournament with four to five franchise teams, each sold for Rs. 1,000 crore. While the values are less, it will help make the game more inclusive and all-encompassing. In sum, IPL is what will whet India’s business appetite in the next few years with the best in the business investing in and feeding off it," read the report in the Open magazine.  

$1.7 billion investment in IPL

The BCCI exceeded all expectations as it earned $1.7 billion after the sale of rights for the two new franchises in the men's IPL. Sanjiv Goenka-owned RPSG Ventures Ltd. placed a successful bid of Rs. 7,090 crore to buy the Lucknow franchise in a closed-door auction, while Irelia Company Pte Ltd. (CVC Capital Partners) offered Rs. 5,625 crore bid to purchase the Ahmedabad franchise. The new teams will make their debut in IPL 2022, making the lucrative tournament a 10-team affair. 

Meanwhile, the women's equivalent of the IPL, also known as the Women's T20 Challenge, has not been held since 2020. The tournament was last conducted in the UAE during the playoff stage of the IPL 2020 edition. The three-team competition was launched in 2018. There's no word on this year's edition of the Women's T20 Challenge, even as the BCCI has successfully conducted IPL 2021 and has pocketed $1.7 billion with the sale of two new franchises. 

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