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In a big development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working on the idea of allowing Indian cricketers of a certain age category to participate in 'The Hundred', a brainchild of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), from 2022.
For now, only the under-23 age-category players, both capped and uncapped, who will not be on national duty, are being considered. However, these are only reports yet and both cricket boards are nowhere close to confirmation .
However, if all the considerations between the BCCI and ECB are met between now and next year, sources state, “BCCI may allow certain categories of Indian cricketers to participate in The Hundred.”
Big step for Indian cricket commission
The Indian Cricket Commission has traditionally avoided allowing active cricket players to play abroad. BCCI prefers not to allow players to play in foreign leagues as the IPL loses some exclusivity. It is known that this particular exception is being made to accommodate the extension of IPL. When 8 teams increase to 10, the number of games will increase and the window will become larger. BCCI is keen to get IPL in March when the new Future Tours Program (FTP) comes into effect. Therefore, other boards need to agree with this idea.
The Hundred to kickstart on July 21
The first match of the Hundred is all set to be played between women’s teams on July 21, 2021. The fixtures of the tournament were announced in February. Oval Invincibles will play Manchester Originals in standalone women’s and men’s fixtures on the first two days. It is also said to be the first major sporting event in the UK that will see women’s fixture as a curtain-raiser.