BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia: ‘This World Cup will extend the movement for women’s cricket’

As India gears up to host an ICC Women’s ODI World Cup after 12 years, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the showpiece event is a success.

The tournament will also be the first ICC event at home since Jay Shah took charge of the global body, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia believes the month-long spectacle will inspire budding women cricketers to take up the sport.

To set the tone, the opening day in Guwahati will feature a cultural flourish. Noted singer Shreya Ghoshal, who recorded the tournament’s anthem  Bring it Home, will perform live. The Assam Cricket Association and the BCCI are also planning a tribute to the late singer Zubeen Garg, a music sensation and cricket enthusiast from Assam who recently passed away in Singapore. “There is a huge grief and tragic situation prevailing in Assam, following Zubeen’s death… the Assam Cricket Association and the BCCI will have a tribute programme during the opening ceremony,” Saikia says. The 40-minute show will feature some of India’s biggest names in music performing Garg’s most popular numbers. “It will be possibly the biggest tribute a cricketing fraternity can offer to him,” he adds.

Being a former First-Class cricketer himself, Saikia knows it is no small feat to stage a tournament of this scale across five venues — Navi Mumbai, Indore, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo — during a prolonged monsoon season. Yet he is confident the BCCI will deliver.

“As far as the tournament is concerned, the BCCI is fully on the job. Whatever we have planned is going in the perfect line. All the verticals are being checked regularly, and we are ensuring everything is on time,” Saikia tells  Sportstar.

This year, several parts of the country, including Mumbai and western India, have seen early and persistent monsoon rains. That has complicated preparations, but organisers are optimistic. “As far as the weather is concerned, this is the last part of the monsoon, and this time, the country is receiving too much rainfall, and there is a prolonged and extended monsoon. But in spite of that, venues like Guwahati and others are getting ready for the event. The grounds and the wickets are being taken care of, the stands are ready,” Saikia says. “Whatever infrastructure things have to be done, everything is on. We are perfectly ready to host the matches…”

Among the four venues in India, only Navi Mumbai is a regular stop for women’s cricket, drawing packed crowds for India games and WPL fixtures. Organisers, however, chose Guwahati, Indore and Visakhapatnam to “spread the game” beyond traditional centres. Bengaluru was initially included but dropped after the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that killed at least 11 people during RCB’s IPL-winning celebrations. Notably, frequent hosts such as Delhi, Mohali, and Vadodara were left out. But Saikia stresses, “There are adequate practice facilities with all necessary requirements, there are enough top-tier hotels, so in terms of arrangements and logistics, we are absolutely well equipped.”

The ICC has priced tickets as low as Rs. 100 to attract young fans. Ahead of the opener between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30, most stands are already sold out. But since this is the first major international event for several of the venues, the BCCI is taking “extra care” to ensure spectators have a smooth experience.

“We have deputed enough personnel to ensure that the hospitality area, the washrooms and the stands are clean, and provide all the facilities to the spectators. You have to understand that this is a long-term version of the game, where all the fans will have to be at the venue for seven to eight hours. So, it is our responsibility to ensure that they don’t face any challenges,” Saikia says. “There will be proper food stalls, a dedicated housekeeping team to manage stands and washrooms, and all necessary facilities across the venues. The BCCI is giving top priority to crowd management and hospitality. We want the crowd to go back home happily once the match is over…”

Sponsorship has also surged. Industry experts estimate rates are up nearly 50 per cent, with title sponsorship valued at around Rs. 35 crore and co-sponsor packages in the Rs. 8-15 crore range. With major corporate groups on board, the ICC hopes to harness the momentum of women’s cricket and push the game to new heights.

“When Jay Shah was the secretary of the BCCI, he introduced the Women’s Premier League in 2023. After that, there has been a big movement throughout the nooks and corners of the country. Women’s cricket has got lots of popularity after the WPL was introduced, and we also introduced pay parity for women cricketers. So, when women’s cricket is taking such a high and big stage now, this World Cup will extend the movement which was initiated by the BCCI in 2022-23,” Saikia says.

“This event will give more encouragement to our women and our girls to take up cricket in a more serious, more competitive manner. And, they will see a proper and secured future in their career. So, this World Cup is not only about hosting matches, but it will also empower the Indian women to take their lives forward in a much more structured and disciplined way,” he adds.

Impressive recent performances against England and Australia have raised hopes for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side. As the World Cup approaches, the BCCI is confident the team can finally break the jinx at home.

Published on Sep 25, 2025