Women's Premier League (cricket) explained

Women's Premier League
Country:India
Administrator:Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
Headquarters:Cricket Centre, Churchgate, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Cricket Format:Twenty20 cricket
First:2023
Last:2024
Next:2025
Tournament Format:Double round-robin and playoffs (knock-out stage)
Participants:5
Champions:Royal Challengers Bangalore (1st title)
Most Runs:Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals) (676)
Most Wickets:Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz) (27)
Tv:
Most Successful:Mumbai Indians
Royal Challengers Bangalore
(1 title each)

The Women's Premier League (WPL), also known as the TATA WPL for sponsorship reasons, is a women's Twenty20 cricket franchise league in India, owned and operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).[1] [2]

The first season, played in March 2023, saw the Mumbai Indians winning the inaugural title. Matches took place in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, with five franchises participating.[3] [4]

The second season, conducted in February and March 2024, resulted in Royal Challengers Bangalore winning the title. Matches were hosted in Bengaluru and Delhi.

History

Winners
Women's Premier League
Season Winners
2023Mumbai Indians
2024Royal Challengers Bangalore

The first major women's Twenty20 competition in India was the Women's T20 Challenge. This started as a single-match tournament in 2018, and was expanded to a three-team, three-match competition held in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

In February 2022, then BCCI President Sourav Ganguly announced plans to establish a women's version of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the major men's Twenty20 franchise cricket competition in India, replacing the Women's T20 Challenge.[5] By August plans were more advanced[6] [7] and in October the BCCI announced that they were considering a five-team tournament which would take place in March 2023.[8] [9] This league was informally known as the Women's Indian Premier League; BCCI Secretary Jay Shah clarified that the BCCI officially named it the Women's Premier League.[1] [10]

On 28 January 2023, the BCCI invited bids for the league's title sponsorship rights until 2027.[11] Tata Group won the bid for an undisclosed amount.[12] Mumbai Indians were the inaugural winners of the tournament, beating Delhi Capitals in the final.[13]

Organisation

The league's structure is based on the structure of the IPL.[14] [15] [16]

Initially there are five teams, with sides playing against each other in a double round robin format, and the three teams finishing with the most points entering the playoff stages of the competition.[17] [18] The Board plans to increase the number of matches and franchises in future seasons if the league is a success.[19]

The first season of the league took place from 4 March to 26 March 2023, and featured 22 matches, all held at Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.[19] [20] Tickets were made available free to women during the first season.[21]

The league's mascot, Shakti, is a tigress wearing a sky blue cricket uniform.[22]

Teams

As of the 2024 season, the league has five teams based in cities across India.

TeamCityHome groundDebutCaptainHead coach
Delhi CapitalsNew Delhi, DelhiArun Jaitley Stadiumtext-align:center;2023Meg LanningJonathan Batty
Gujarat GiantsAhmedabad, GujaratNarendra Modi Stadiumtext-align:center;2023Beth MooneyMichael Klinger
Mumbai IndiansMumbai, MaharashtraWankhede Stadiumtext-align:center;2023Harmanpreet KaurCharlotte Edwards
Royal Challengers BengaluruBangalore, KarnatakaM. Chinnaswamy Stadiumtext-align:center;2023Smriti MandhanaLuke Williams
UP WarriorzLucknow, Uttar PradeshBRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadiumtext-align:center;2023Alyssa HealyJon Lewis

Tournament seasons and results

Finals

SeasonWinnerWinning marginRunner-upFinal venuePlayer of the matchPlayer of the season
2023Mumbai Indians
134/3 (19.3 overs)
Indians won by 7 wickets
Scorecard
Delhi Capitals
131/9 (20 overs)
Brabourne Stadium, MumbaiNat Sciver-Brunt (MI)Hayley Matthews (MI)
2024Royal Challengers Bangalore
115/2 (19.3 overs)
Royal Challengers won by 8 wickets
Scorecard
Delhi Capitals
113 (18.3 overs)
Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New DelhiSophie Molineux (RCB)Deepti Sharma (UPW)

Teams' performances

Season
(No. of teams)
2023
(5)
2024
(5)
Mumbai IndiansC3rd
Royal Challengers Bengaluru4thC
RURU
UP Warriorz3rd4th
Gujarat Giants5th5th
Teams Performance across the seasons!Teams!Appearances!Title(s)!Runner-up!Matches!Win!Loss!NR
Mumbai Indians210191360
Royal Challengers Bengaluru188100
Delhi Capitals02181260
UP Warriorz0177100
Gujarat Giants164120

Records and statistics

A summary of the most notable statistical records associated with the tournament is provided below:

Financial background

The BCCI intends to distribute 80% of the profits from the competition among the franchise owners during the first five years. For the next five seasons, 60% of the profits will be shared, and from seasons 11 to 15, 50% of the profits will be distributed. Additionally, 80% of the revenue from the central licensing rights for the competition will be shared with the franchises. Franchises will also generate revenue through merchandise, ticket sales and advertising.[19] [24]

Player auction

The first auction to purchase players for each franchise was held on 13 February 2023 at Mumbai.[25] [26] Around 1,500 players registered their names.[27] [28] Each franchise had to spend and had to purchase between 15 and 18 players, six of whom could be overseas players.[14] [25]

The base price of an uncapped player at the first auction was between and . For capped players it was between and .[29] In future seasons the purse size for each franchise will be increased by each year.[19]

In the first auction a total of was spent to purchase 87 players. Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive player purchased in the initial auction; she signed for Royal Challengers Bangalore for and was appointed as the team's captain.[30]

Broadcasting

In January 2023, Viacom18, announced it had acquired the global media rights for TV and digital broadcasts for the tournament. The contract will run for five years and was worth .[31] The initial season of the league is broadcasting in India on the Sports18 TV channel and the JioCinema app, both of which are owned by Viacom18.[32]

The first season of the competition was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports,[33] in Australia by Fox Sports Australia, in the United States and Canada by Willow TV and in South Africa by SuperSports.[34] In New Zealand it is aired by Sky Sport, in Malaysia and Hong Kong by Astro Cricket while in mainland China by Star Sports.

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 25 January 2023 . Women's IPL: BCCI earns Rs 4669.99 crore windfall for 5 teams . Rediff.
  2. 1618178527496634369. JayShah. The @BCCI has named the league - Women's Premier League (WPL). Let the journey begin.....
  3. Web site: 25 January 2023 . 'Let the journey begin': BCCI garners Rs 4669.99 crore for sale of 5 Women's Premier League teams . 2023-01-26 . The Times of India . en.
  4. Web site: CCI, DY Patil to host WPL from March 4–26; Mumbai-Ahmedabad to play opening game . 2023-02-14 . Cricbuzz . 3 February 2023 . en.
  5. Web site: BCCI plans to start a full-fledged women's IPL in 2023: Sourav Ganguly . 2023-02-16 . India Today . 4 February 2022 . en.
  6. Web site: Acharya . Shayan . Women's IPL: BCCI exploring late February-March 2023 window for the T20 tournament . 12 August 2022. 2023-02-16 . sportstar.thehindu.com . en.
  7. Web site: BCCI to hold inaugural Women's Indian Premier League in March 2023. 12 August 2022. 2023-02-16. Outlook.
  8. Web site: BCCI considers 5 teams, 2 venues, 20 league matches for inaugural WIPL . 13 October 2022. 25 Dec 2022 . Cricbuzz . en.
  9. Web site: Inaugural Women's IPL likely to be played from March 3 to 26 . 9 December 2022. 25 Dec 2022 . ESPNcricinfo . en.
  10. News: 2023-01-26 . 'Let the journey begin': BCCI garners Rs 4669.99 crore for sale of 5 Women's Premier League teams . 2024-02-07 . The Times of India . 0971-8257.
  11. Web site: BCCI invites bids for Women's Premier League title sponsorship rights for 2023-2027 . 28 January 2023. 2023-02-16 . Deccan Herald . en.
  12. Web site: WPL Title Sponsor: IPL . Loksatta. 22 February 2023 .
  13. Web site: Mumbai Indians become the first WPL champions thanks to Sciver-Brunt and Wong . ESPNcricinfo . 26 March 2023 . 26 March 2023.
  14. News: Women's Indian Premier League franchises go for £465m . BBC Sport . 2023-02-05.
  15. Web site: Stunning Prices for Cricket Teams Are a Milestone for Women's Sports . NY times. 26 January 2023.
  16. Web site: 'Life changing'... . 6 February 2023 . .
  17. Web site: 3 February 2023 . Game Changer... . The Guardian.
  18. Web site: Women's IPL 2023 Format, Rules . 20 Jan 2023 . Time of Sports. en.
  19. News: 23 January 2023 . mr:महिला आयपीएल लिलावात, ४००० कोटींची कमाई! . mr . Women IPL minted 4000 crore! . 6 . . 24 January 2023.
  20. Web site: WPL Auction starts from 13 Feb 2023. 11 February 2023. Worldcup.org.in.
  21. Web site: Women's Premier League Bcci Finally Announce Tickets Rates Starts From Rupees 100 . 4 March 2023 .
  22. News: Women's Premier League: BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Unveils Official Mascot 'Shakti' . Ndtvsports.com.
  23. https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/trophy/women-s-premier-league-988
  24. Web site: 'Life changing'... . 6 February 2023 . Fox Sports .
  25. Nagraj Gollapudi (2023) Charlotte Edwards to coach Mumbai's WPL team, ESPNcricinfo, 5 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  26. Web site: 2 February 2023 . Women's Premier League auction in Mumbai. . Times of India. 3 February 2023.
  27. Web site: Gollapudi . Nagraj . 6 February 2023 . Women's Premier League to begin on March 4 .
  28. Web site: around 1K sing up for WPL auction.. news18.com.
  29. Web site: 2023-01-21 . Haldiram, Infosys, 10 IPL teams among 30-plus companies to show interest in buying teams in Women's IPL: Report . 2023-01-30 . TimesNow.
  30. Web site: Dixit . Ravi . 3 March 2023 . WPL 2023 Schedule, Teams, Captains, Start Date, Squad, Venues, Prediction . 3 March 2023 . Cricable.
  31. Web site: Women's IPL: Viacom 18 wins media rights, to pay INR 7.09 crore per match . 2023-01-16 . ESPNcricinfo. 16 January 2023 .
  32. News: Women's IPL Media Rights Bagged By Viacom 18 For A Sensational Rs 951 Crore Deal. 16 January 2022 . Latestly . 13 February 2022 .
  33. Web site: Women's Premier League: 2023 season of women's version of IPL to be shown live on Sky Sports this March . 2023-03-04 . Sky Sports . en.
  34. https://wisden.com/stories/global-t20-leagues/womens-premier-league-2023/wpl-2023-where-to-watch-live-tv-channels-live-streaming-womens-premier-league WPL 2023, where to watch live: TV channels & live streaming | Women’s Premier League