IPL’s 14th edition came to an end last week with the Chennai Super Kings winning it for the fourth time. CSK has won the title for the second time after getting reinstated in 2018 after serving a two-year ban. Though much had been written about the ageing CSK team, its average age was well above 30, the team was consistent and also proved that even in T20 cricket, which is often seen as a young person’s game, there is no substitute for experience.

The standout performers in this edition of IPL were Ruturaj Gaikwad of CSK, Venkatesh Iyer of KKR, Avesh Khan of Delhi Capitals, Arshdeep Singh of Kings XI Punjab and Umran Malik of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

For Virat Kohli, who has stepped down from the RCB captaincy, it was heartbreak yet again as his team was knocked out in the eliminator stage. The BCCI must be heaving a big sigh of relief for having pulled off the IPL this time around after it was disrupted during the deadly second wave of Covid in April. An expanded IPL will return next year with two more teams in the fray.

But instead of milking the IPL with two more teams next year, shouldn’t the BCCI seriously be looking at starting a women’s IPL? After all there are seven Indian women cricketers, including stars such as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Varma and Harmanpreet Kaur, playing in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League in Australia. Five of them played in the inaugural Hundred in England this summer. After the Indian women’s impressive performance in their first ever day-night Test in Australia more Tests should also be scheduled for them.

Several Indian women cricketers over the last two years have been asking for a women’s IPL, the latest being Harmanpreet Kaur. Given the popularity the women’s team enjoys, a women’s IPL will be a huge hit and the stands will be packed once the fans are allowed after the pandemic subsides. So what’s stopping the BCCI?