BCCI announces multi-day tournament for women cricketers from March 28

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is bringing domestic women's cricket back after four years. The board will be conducting an Inter Zonal multi-day trophy from March 28 in Pune, informed the board on Friday (March 1). This comes after India women played Tests against England and Australia recently. 

“It is a welcome step taken by BCCI. The national team has started playing Test cricket again and we need the next generation of cricketers to play red ball cricket at the domestic level,” former India pacer Amita Sharma told new agency PTI.

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“I would also want red ball to be played at the state level and not just zonal level. Back in the day we had both those events,” she added.

The tournament will feature teams from six zones, that is: East, West, North, South, Central and North East. The teams will be competing in five matches of three days each. The tournament semifinals are scheduled on April 3 with final to be played on April 9.

Currently, the women cricketers are playing the second season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) - the domestic T20 tournament on the lines of Indian Premier League (IPL). The five teams playing in the WPL are Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriroz.

As of now, seven matches have been played in the ongoing 2024 WPL season with each team having played three games except Giants who have played two games so far. Delhi Capitals are on the top with four points in three games with two wins and one loss. 

Second and third on the list are Bangalore and Mumbai with same wins as Delhi but with lower net run rate then Delhi. Last two on the list are UP Warriorz and Gujarat at fourth and fifth place, respectively.