Arun Dhumal indicates for different window for WPL in the future
Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Arun Dhumal confirmed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) might shift the Women’s Premier League to a different window in the future. The move has been on the cards for quite some time now, as February and March seem to be a difficult timeline as multiple countries play bilateral series at this time of the year.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Heather Knight and UP Warriorz’ Lauren Bell opted out of the ongoing season to prepare for England’s upcoming series against New Zealand and keeping that in mind, the committee plans to eliminate such a scenario in the future. Dhumal kept the door open to change the WPL window soon but hasn’t confirmed the development. He also opened up about taking the tournament to various parts of the country and justified the reason it’s being played at neutral venues.
“It all depends on the window we get. We have got five teams and making it home and away and giving them equal opportunities will be a huge task, that’s why we opted for two venues. While it is a neutral venue for most teams, they are also getting a chance to connect with their fans. The kind of crowd we saw in Bengaluru rooting for RCB or the Delhi crowd cheering for Delhi Capitals is phenomenal,” Dhumal told Sportstar.
“Regards to women’s cricket, we will try our best in the window we get and find the best time to host the tournament to gain more traction among the lovers of the game,” he added.
WPL will not be the second best, but the best women’s league: Dhumal
Chairman Dhumal is very impressed with WPL’s success in Bengaluru and Delhi this year. He believes that the tournament will gain momentum in the coming years and will be the best women’s league in the world.
“When you are at the venue, you can’t make out whether you are at a men’s IPL or women’s tournament. That’s the best thing about it. The quality of the game has been incredible. I am confident that going forward, WPL will not be the second best, but the best women’s league,” Dhumal said.
