Two Women’s Premier League matches scheduled for Navi Mumbai this week will now be played without spectators, after the city police said they cannot spare enough officers on municipal election day, 15 January.
The key fixture affected is Mumbai Indians v UP Warriorz at DY Patil Stadium on the 15th. Delhi Capitals v UP Warriorz on 14 January and Gujarat Giants v Royal Challengers Bengaluru on the 16th are also in doubt, with no tickets currently listed for any of the three dates.
“On election day every available unit is out on duty, so extra cover for a cricket match isn’t realistic,” a senior police official told local reporters. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was informed earlier this week and, for the moment, has decided that playing behind closed doors is the simplest fix.
The clash was foreseeable. The WPL released its fixture list on 29 November; the election date was confirmed a fortnight later, on 15 December. A league committee member admitted, “We flagged it straight away, but moving matches at short notice is complicated and expensive.”
Fans who packed out the tournament opener on Friday, and turned up in healthy numbers for the weekend double-header, will be disappointed. Ashna Patel, a Mumbai season-ticket holder, summed it up: “Women’s cricket finally gets momentum and then something like this happens. I get the security angle, but it’s still gutting.”
By contrast, tickets are on sale for the 17 January double-header (MI-UPW and DC-RCB) at DY Patil, after which the competition moves to Vadodara for its second leg.
The BCCI has not yet issued a formal statement. For now, supporters planning to attend matches in Navi Mumbai between 14 and 16 January should assume the gates will remain shut unless the board announces otherwise.
