BCCI chairman Saurav Ganguly confirmed that the “home and away” format of the IPL is set to return in the 2023 season. The return of the pre-Covid 19 format was conveyed to the Boards of affiliate state units.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the IPL has only been played at a select few locations, with the lucrative league taking place behind closed doors at three locations in the United Arab Emirates: Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.
The competition took place in four locations in 2021 as well: Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Chennai.
The cash-rich league will revert to its previous structure, in which each team plays one home game and one away game after the pandemic has been contained.
Full domestic campaign in 2023
“The next season of men’s IPL will also go back to the home and away format with all ten teams playing their home matches at their designated venues,” read Mr. Ganguly’s note to state units.
The note gave them a “snapshot” of the ongoing domestic season.
The BCCI is conducting a full-fledged domestic season for the first time since 2020 and all multi-day tournaments will also return to the traditional home and away format.
Women’s IPL likely start early next year
The BCCI is also aiming to host the highly anticipated Women’s IPL’s debut season early in 2023. According to a PTI report from last month, the competition will probably take place in March following the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa.
“The eagerly anticipated Women’s IPL is currently being worked on by the BCCI. We anticipate launching the first season early in 2023.
“In the letter with the date September 20, Ganguly wrote. The goal of Women’s IPL is to raise the level of women’s cricket in the nation.
The BCCI will debut a girls’ Under-15 One-Day tournament in addition to the Women’s IPL.
“We are glad to introduce a Girls U-15 One-Day tournament from this season. Women’s cricket has seen phenomenal growth worldwide, and our national team has performed well. This new tournament will create a pathway for our young girls to play nationally and internationally, The BCCI is currently working on the much-awaited Women’s IPL. We are expecting to start the first season early next year,” Mr. Ganguly wrote in the letter dated September 20.
Between December 26 and January 12, five venues Bangalore, Ranchi, Rajkot, Indore, Raipur, and Pune—will host the first-ever women’s Under-15 competition.