Fact Check: Is Sourav Ganguly doing enough for women's cricket in India?

After the IPL suspension news, the Indian team will be heading for the ICC World Test Championship followed by the Test series against England where India will play 5 Tests against the hosts. Even after the IPL is suspended, Indian fans have a lot of opportunities to experience men’s cricket in the upcoming part of the year. However, fans haven’t experienced much of women’s cricket for this year and with the postponement of the Women's IPL Challenge this season, fans have started claiming that women’s cricket in India is deteriorating under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly.

Fact Check? Fans blame BCCI for lack of women's cricket throughout the year

The last match that the Indian women’s cricket team played in 2020 was the ICC Women’s T20 Final on March 8, 2020. The next series that the Indian women's cricket team played came a year later on March 7, 2021, against South Africa. Fans couldn’t experience much of the Indian women’s cricket team matches throughout the year and hence questioned the BCCI for not showing adequate interest in growing women’s cricket in India. However, it is interesting to note that before the IPL this year, the South African Women's team had toured India for an ODI and T20I series as well.

Fact Check: India cricket schedule 2021 for women's team

The Indian women's cricket team will play Test cricket after 8 years with Sourav Ganguly's backing. The Indian women’s team will play the Test match from June 16-20 against England. They are also set to play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is on their England tour. Sourav Ganguly informed that the women’s team will leave for England on June 2 as per multiple reports.

As per the Indian cricket schedule, West Indies Women are also set to play in India. India are also set to face South Africa again and Australia as well apart from England. Additionally, the BCCI has given some women’s team's players permission to play in The Hundred tournament in England along with the Big Bash League in Australia. After the IPL suspension, the Women's IPL has also reportedly been rescheduled for the September-October window as of now.

Players allowed in The Hundred tournament

Players like Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Deepti Sharma will be participating in The Hundred with the permission of the BCCI. With India targetting the next 50-over World Cup in New Zealand too, fans questioning Sourav Ganguly's commitment to not women's cricket much priority in the India cricket schedule 2021, have been mistaken (subject to the pandemic forcing more rescheduling of matches).

Image Source: AP