In the first WPL, all matches took place from March 4 to March 26 at the DY Patil Stadium and the Brabourne Stadium. The upcoming second edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is expected to adopt a multi-city format, with matches likely to be held in Mumbai and Bengaluru, following the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“The final decision on venues might come on December 9 (the day of the WPL auction), but it is highly likely that this year, the WPL will follow the multi-city format with Mumbai and Bengaluru as the front-runners at this moment,” a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Officials from the Mumbai and Karnataka cricket associations have expressed their willingness to host the matches if given the opportunity. Smriti Mandhana, the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore women’s team, has also voiced her support for the multi-city format of the WPL.
“It would be great to have WPL in a multi-city format. That might be the next step, and I am sure people right here would look into it and make it happen. As an RCB fan, I would love to play in Chinnaswamy where people are chanting ‘RCB, RCB’ and just to be in that environment,” Mandhana had said during the recent RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India.
“That is something which is one step ahead for us, that it (multi-city format) can reach places where women’s cricket hasn’t reached and to get a new audience interested in women’s cricket,” Mandhana added.
(With PTI inputs)
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