WPL 2024 to be held in February; BCCI to resolve on venues quickly, says Dhumal

The second version of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will probably be held in February and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will resolve shortly on whether or not the event will probably be held in only one metropolis – because it occurred within the inaugural version – or will probably be performed in a number of cities.

Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the IPL Governing Council, informed Sportstar that there will probably be discussions over the venue when the office-bearers meet in Mumbai on the sidelines of the WPL public sale on Saturday (December 9).

“The WPL will be in February, so we will be checking on the venues. Once we meet, most probably during the WPL auctions, we will figure out where it makes more sense to host the tournament, given the logistical challenges and the time available. We will take a call on that,” Dhumal stated.

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There’s a buzz within the cricketing circuit that video games may very well be performed in Mumbai and Bengaluru, given each cities have a robust fan base for ladies’s cricket. Last season, when the matches have been held in Mumbai, followers turned up in giant numbers and at any time when Mumbai Indians or Royal Challengers Bangalore featured in a sport, it was a packed home.

Dhumal, nevertheless, acknowledged {that a} choice will probably be taken protecting all components in thoughts. “If it is possible to host it in a multi-city format, that would be better for the fans and the franchises, since there is a fan base. But it all depends on how much time is available and the logistical challenges,” he stated.

However, going ahead, the BCCI plans to conduct WPL fixtures in as many venues as attainable to faucet into the native market. “Definitely, we would want the tournament to go through the geography of the entire country, given the diversity of our country. It’s a great opportunity for all the franchise to engage with the fans through the length and breadth of this country. There are many stadiums and would be phenomenal for fans to engage with women cricketers. Now that the franchises are clear, even they would be keen on having their games in their local centres,” Dhumal stated, “We will work with the franchises and see to what extent it is possible to organise matches there…”

The inaugural version of the event had garnered large recognition amongst all of the stakeholders and Dhumal expects the event to solely get higher. “The whole idea is to keep on improving the quality of the games. Last time, we did not have enough time in terms of selecting our partners, choosing the franchises and also in terms of hosting the auction. That was too close to the World Cup also. Now, the franchises are clear and they would have seen the domestic and international tournaments and how the players are performing. They would be better placed in terms of their teams,” Dhumal stated.

“Once a team set-up is regulated better – in terms of selection of players – I am sure the tournament will be more competitive, which would end up creating more interest and engagement for the fans. For the inaugural season, we had a phenomenal tournament – the viewership through the broadcast and also in-stadia. It was a packed house, so we are hoping that the tournament gets more engagement every season. We are sure, we will have a great tournament, going forward…”