As India head into the Women’s T20 World Cup next year in Australia in search of their maiden title, there has been a talk going on about having a full-fledged  Women’s IPL, including India and overseas players and also involving seven or eight teams. However, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly thinks this kind of tournament is far away.

“You need to understand the practicality of it,” he told India Today. “You need a lot more women players. I see that in four years’ time, to get a seven-team IPL with the best women players [in participation].”

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After an exhibition game in 2018, the BCCI organised the Women’s T20 Challenge involving a three-team event in Jaipur in 2019. However, the popularity increased after India’s stupendous performance in the 2017 ICC World Cup. Moreover, BCCI re-introduced the A tours for women where an India A team will go to Australia before the senior team’s tri-series in January and play a three-match T20, as well as, One Day series there.

“You have to let the state association teams get stronger, a lot of them are getting stronger,” he said. “The push for women’s cricket has been enormous over the last few years. Three years down the line, when you have 150-160 players, you can take the IPL forward. Right now, we have 50-60 players. With the push BCCI has for women’s cricket, that will only increase,” Sourav Ganguly further added.