BCCI's tentative domestic schedule suggests full-fledged women's season likely

As per a tentative schedule drawn up by Rahul Dravid, head of the National Cricket Academy, and BCCI's interim CEO Hemang Amin, it is believed that the board is planning to hold a full-fledged women's domestic season with senior, Under-23 and Under-19 tournaments across both one-day and T20 formats.

Having received plenty of criticism following their refusal to send the women's team to England for a proposed tri-series, the BCCI have thus underlined their support for the women's game. As reported by the Times of India, a curtailed men's season with only First-Class and T20 matches seems likely. All men's junior level tournaments will proceed as usual.

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The women's season is likely to begin in November with the senior T20 tournament (November 1 to 20), followed by the Under-23 one-day league (November 30 to December 23) and then the Under-19 one-day league (December 20 to January 31). The age-group T20 tournaments will be held between January 27 and March 11 in 2021, before the season ends with the senior one-day competition in March-April. There is no mention made about the Challenger Trophy.

While it is understood that the Ranji Trophy will not revert to the old zonal system - as previously suggested to reduced the amount of travel - the format for the women's tournaments are likely to be the same as previous seasons. Matches in each group will be played across two grounds in one city.

Understandably, the proposed schedule is subject to change based on the COVID-19 situation in the country. If there is no improvement soon, the BCCI may have to resort to further cuts.

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