Reports: Selectors set to submit over 200 names for inaugural Women's IPL

Ever since the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) received a green signal from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), female cricketers from all over the globe, especially India, have been really excited. And to add to the excitement, the selectors are set to submit over 200 names for the mega event.

The developments regarding the Women’s IPL took place after Roger Binny was named the BCCI President in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) earlier this year. The event is likely to take place in March, after the end of the Women’s T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be played in February 2023 in South Africa.

Following a recent Governing Council meeting, the BCCI requested the selectors to develop a pool of players for the Women's IPL. And, as per a report by Cricbuzz, the BCCI will receive the list, which includes almost 160–170 Indian players and 30–40 overseas players, in a few days. The 15-day window needed for the five-team tournament could likely fall between 7-22 March, 2023.

The dates will be finalized only after the tournament has had an auction for the media rights as well as the franchises. Many existing franchises like the Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, and the Kolkata Knight Riders among others had shown interest in bidding for a women’s team if the tournament gets underway.

Women in Blue gear up for Australia project

As of now, the Indian women’s team is preparing for the five-match T20I series against Australia, which is set to begin on December 9, 2022. The five games will be played across two venues in Mumbai, the D.Y. Patil Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium. The series will prove to be very much beneficial for the two sides as they gear up for the fiorthcoming T20 World Cup.

India finished as runners-up in the previous edition of the tournament in 2020. They faced hosts Australia in the summit clash after putting up impressive performances throughout the league stage but could not lift the title. Having won the Women’s Asia Cup recently and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side would be hoping to turn the tables around this time.