WPL could be played in home-away format during a dedicated window: Jay Shah

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has revealed that, going forward, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) could be played in a home-away format during a dedicated window, with the board keeping an eye on the feasibility of hosting the league during Diwali time. 

The inaugural edition of the WPL proved to be a huge success, but the tournament was restricted to just two venues — Brabourne and Dr DY Patil Sports Academy stadium, both in Mumbai.

It meant that the only side that really played in front of its home fans was champions Mumbai Indians, with the others technically exclusively playing neutral games.

However, in a media interaction on Friday, Shah revealed that the WPL could soon be like the IPL.

“We are mulling the possibility of scheduling the WPL in a home and away format in the Diwali window,” Shah said, reported PTI.

“We won’t have two seasons in a year but just a different time window. Women’s cricket now has a dedicated audience base and this number will only keep growing as we expect an encouraging turnout at the next WPL.”

The feasibility of the proposed idea remains to be seen, though, for should the tournament indeed be played during the Diwali period, there’s a possibility that it could clash with the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). 

In that case, there’s a good chance that Cricket Australia (CA) might end up denying NOCs to its players, who will be expected to feature in the WBBL.

The introduction of the home-away format will see the WPL being played at the Chinnaswamy, Wankhede and Arun Jaitley Stadium among other venues.