The Women’s T20 Challenge or the mini IPL as it is popularly known is likely to get postponed in the wake of the Covid-19 wrath in the country. It is anticipated that the women overseas players won’t be available for the tournament due to the travel restrictions.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have not announced anything officially, but sources have confirmed that there will be logistical challenges to host the tournament. Cricketers from England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and West Indies are unlikely to travel to India due to the restrictions and cancellation of flights.
Women’s T20 Challenge likely to be postponed
“With various countries imposing travel restrictions to India, it looks impossible for now to fly in the players. So at this point, things look difficult,” the source said to ESPNCricinfo.
Previously, the Board had planned to execute the entire tournament in Delhi. The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCS) had confirmed to Sportstar that they were not aware of any such news.
Meanwhile, every year the Women’s T20 Challenge takes place during the playoff stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But this time around, the country is bruised by the rising number of coronavirus cases daily. Many players have pulled out of the IPL and went back home.
The BCCI officials agreed that this year the Women’s T20 Challenge might not happen soon. The United Kingdom has put India on their red list. Australia has suspended all the flights from India to Australia. Even the United Arab Emirates has made it difficult to travel to their country from India.
Every day India is facing over 300,000 cases, the death toll has also gone up. Earlier, some players had tested positive for the virus at the beginning of the IPL. Recently Delhi Capitals Ravichandran Ashwin has taken an indefinite break from the tournament. Australia’s Adam Zampa, who was supposed to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Andrew Tye, who was with Rajasthan Royals, pulled themselves out of the tournament.
