Women's World Cup moved out of Wankhede

The BCCI has decided to shift all matches of the Women's World Cup out of the Wankhede Stadium as the Mumbai Cricket Association* (MCA) wants to use the venue for the final of the Ranji Trophy.

"We had requested the BCCI to allow us to stage the Ranji final against Saurashtra at the Wankhede Stadium, the home of Mumbai cricket," MCA joint secretary Nitin Dalal told ESPNcricinfo. "We are glad that they have agreed to it."

A BCCI insider confirmed that "no WWC match" will be played at the Wankhede, with the new schedule still being worked upon keeping Cuttack as co-hosts along with Mumbai. "This would also help in letting the Wankhede host the Irani Cup from February 6, should Mumbai go on to win the Ranji Trophy."

As a result, the Women's World Cup is now set to be played at five stadiums: the Barabati Stadium and the DRIEMS stadium in Cuttack, and the MIG Club, Brabourne Stadium and MCA's Bandra-Kurla Complex facility in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, both Saurashtra and Mumbai are set to go in to the Ranji final without the services of two key players each. Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane (both Mumbai), Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja (both Saurashtra) are part of India's squad for the five-match ODI series against England. With the fifth ODI to be played on January 27, the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) had requested the BCCI to postpone the start of the Ranji final from January 26 by two days. Once that was refused due to inability to change the telecast schedule, the SCA had requested for at least Pujara, who hasn't featured in the series along with Sharma, for the final.

However, a BCCI insider said that none of the four players will be released. "Rahane and Jadeja have been playing in the eleven. And since Rohit and Pujara are the only two reserve batsmen, there is no way they can be released two days before an ODI," he said.