Shah, who also serves as the convenor of the WPL committee, disclosed that the league is scheduled to kick off in the second or third week of February 2024.
While initial discussions considered the possibility of hosting the next WPL in multiple cities akin to the Indian Premier League (IPL), Shah emphasised the logistical advantages of concentrating the tournament in one state.”It is decided that we will have the tournament in February, most probably we will start in the second or third week. As far as the venue is concerned, it will be held in one state only so that it is better logistically — what if we do not get two venues in one city, that is,” Shah explained during the media briefing at the WPL auction.
Logistics played a pivotal role in this decision, and Shah conveyed confidence that future editions might explore different options. Highlighting potential venues for the second edition, he mentioned Bangalore, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.
“We can do it either in Bangalore or in Uttar Pradesh. We have so many venues, even in Gujarat, where we have Ahmedabad, Rajkot and a few years later, Baroda can build their own stadium,” Shah added.
The BCCI secretary underscored that a joint decision would be made with WPL franchises to finalise the venue, taking into account potential scheduling conflicts with domestic matches.
“We will sit together and decide. But it will be in one state, that is sure,” Shah confirmed.
Expressing optimism about the success of the WPL, Shah highlighted the substantial interest shown by franchises in Indian players during the auction.
Anticipating an even more successful second edition, he noted, “It will be more successful this time. The biggest thing that you saw today (in the auction) was that two uncapped players got such big amounts, especially Indian players. The franchises have shown a lot of interest towards the Indian players, which is a big thing.”
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(With inputs from PTI)
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