Looking to host IPL 2022 league stage in Mumbai and Pune: Sourav Ganguly

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that the board wants to host the league stage of IPL 2022 in Maharashtra. He said on Thursday that unless COVID-19 cases "hit the roof", the opulent league won't be moved out of India.

The IPL had to be shifted to the UAE for most of the past two seasons owing to the pandemic. This season, with the third wave not as deadly, the BCCI has shown interest in hosting the tournament in just one state in India. Maharashtra, with its four IPL-standard venues in Mumbai and Pune, has emerged as the frontrunner.

In an interview with Sportstar, Sourav Ganguly said:

"It will be held in India this year, until and unless COVID-19 hits the roof. As far as venues are concerned, we are looking at hosting the matches in Maharashtra – Mumbai, and Pune. We will take a call on the venues for the knockout stages later."

IPL 2022 will see 74 league games, with the season beginning in the last week of March and going on till May.

The Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune are likely to be the four venues to host the league stage. While not yet confirmed, the playoffs will likely move to Gujarat's Narendra Modi Stadium.

---

"Women’s T20 Challenge will happen during the IPL playoffs" - Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly also revealed that the Women's T20 Challenge - a three-team franchise tournament - will return this season after being ignored last year due to the pandemic. He said it will be held simultaneously with the IPL playoffs.

The 49-year-old also reiterated his stance that the tournament will be extended to a bigger Women's IPL only after "the number of women players goes up".

He said:

"(Will India Women play more Tests soon?) Yes, of course, they will. The Women’s T20 Challenge will again be back this year in the month of May. We will host the IPL and hopefully, in the future, we will be able to host a bigger women’s IPL once the number of women players goes up. We will take it from there. But this year, too, the Women’s T20 Challenge will happen during the IPL playoffs."

The Smriti Mandhana-led Trailblazers won last season's Women's T20 Challenge, defeating Supernovas by 16 runs in the final.