Female spectators will be allowed free entry to the three women’s T20Is between India and Zimbabwe, starting at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium here, following a suggestion from the state’s Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.
A Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) source said to IANS on Thursday that the decision was taken after the chief minister floated the idea when office-bearers of the association invited him to watch the T20I series. The matches will be played on October 16, 18 and 20, with all three games starting at 7 pm.
“Navratri is also going on, and having as many female spectators as possible in the T20I matches will add more spark to the festive season in Raipur,” further said the source.
The association announced the initiative on its social media accounts on Thursday and urged female fans to turn up in large numbers and fill the stands in support of the Indian team. The series marks the start of Smriti Mandhana’s tenure as India’s full-time captain and is Zimbabwe’s first bilateral series against India. It will also be the first time Raipur hosts a women’s international match. Meanwhile, Surat will host Elite Group A games in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, which New Delhi was to stage originally. Elite Group A comprises reigning champions Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, Goa, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Assam.
“Delhi did not have the grounds due to red ball games also running simultaneously. After the T20Is, the two teams will move to Vadodara for a three-match ODI series from October 23 to 28.
Surat will host the group games and the change is also visible on the BCCI website,” said a source aware of the development to IANS.
