IPL to return to the pre-Covid home-away format in 2023, says Ganguly: The Cricket festival of India, the Indian Premier League will return to its original, pre-COVID-19, home-and-away format from the 2023 season, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has brought to the notice of the affiliated state units of the board. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, IPL 2021 matches have been held on just 3 grounds in UAE and the same happened in the 2022 edition where 10 teams played all games on 4 venues only, which were Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.
However, with the pandemic under control, the cash-rich league will return to its old ‘home-away’ format, with ten teams now and with each team playing one home and one away match.
“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,” Ganguly wrote in the letter to state units.
Women’s IPL to start early next year
The BCCI is also working to host the inaugural edition of the much-awaited women’s IPL “early next year”. The tournament is likely to take place in March after the Women’s T20 World Cup ends in February-end in South Africa.
“The BCCI is currently working on the much-awaited Women’s IPL. We are expecting to start the first season early next year,” Ganguly wrote in the letter. Apart from the women’s IPL, BCCI is also launching a girls’ under-15 one-day tournament. “We are glad to introduce a girls U15 One Day tournament from this season. Women’s cricket has seen phenomenal growth across the world and our national team has been performing well. This new tournament will create a pathway for our young girls to play at the national and international level,” Ganguly wrote.
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About Domestic seasons
The letter also gave information about the ongoing domestic season. BCCI is organizing an entire domestic season for the first time since 2020 and all multi-day tournaments will also return to the traditional home and away format. The letter further read, “I am happy to share with you that we are returning to normalcy. You must be aware that this year we will be having the as-usual full-fledged domestic season for all age groups and the games will be hosted all over the country.”
“It is really heartening to see the support that the BCCI has received from all its members over the past few years. I am sure the pandemic is behind us, and we all now look forward to a more certain future,” it added.
Concluding, IPL is going back to its normal pre-Covid form from the 2023 edition onwards. BCCI Working on Women’s IPL, planning to kick start it early next year. And 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.
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