BCCI-backed Indian Premier League claims it will give serious competition to the Saas Bahu soaps on television as a "sizeable number of women" have shown "tremendous interest" in the shorter format of the game.
"According to a survey done by the Cricket Board, there has been 70 per cent increase in TRP ratings of cricket after India's World Cup win in the Twenty20 format. Totally new audiences have been drawn towards this sport after we won the Cup," ICC's Principal Advisor-designate I S Bindra, who is also IPL's Governing Council member, said on Wednesday.
"We are hopeful that IPL's T20 mega event will attract women as well in huge numbers as it will be like watching a three-hour Bollywood film for them where they can thoroughly entertain themselves."
Actress Preity Zinta, who owns the IPL team 'Kings XI Punjab, said she would kick off ticket sales in the form of a carnival at the PCA stadium on April 12 and would like that a large number of women buy the tickets.
"IPL is going to be a big success and it will surely wean away women from the Saas Bahu serials. Women, who earlier found it difficult to spare a whole day watching cricket, are showing great interest now. It will be a complete entertainment package for families and for those who are not great fans of the sport," Zinta said.