WPL 2023 is finally here, and starts’ tonight. The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has been making waves since its announcement in 2022. The biggest event in women’s cricket, the TATAWPL is all set to kick off, with 5 incredible teams, and 22 jaw-dropping matches!
The BCCI’s decision to launch the league came as a surprise to many, given that it was only last year when the board revealed its plans to host an IPL-style tournament for women by 2023. With the WPL now launched and set to start in 2023, the excitement is palpable, and the BCCI is projecting it as a success story that aims to edge past other women’s cricket leagues in terms of quality and reach.
The WPL is a much-needed platform for women cricketers to showcase their talents. The league aims to be the most competitive tournament that women’s cricket has ever seen, and it has the potential to transform women’s cricket in India. The five franchises spent a whopping ₹59.50 crore to procure the services of some of the biggest names in women’s cricket. The WPL will give young players the opportunity to get a taste of elite-level cricket before breaking into the senior national team.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the WPL, what it means for women’s cricket in India, and the potential it holds.
The birth of the WPL
The BCCI’s announcement last year that they planned to host an IPL-style tournament for women by 2023 was met with a lot of excitement. There was a huge market for women’s cricket in the Indian subcontinent, and the national women’s team’s success on the field of play only added to the demand. The BCCI began informal discussions with existing IPL franchises and a few other corporations to ensure the best decision was taken.
The WPL was launched within a fortnight of the BCCI’s announcement, despite running against time. The BCCI got everything in order and struck a huge media rights deal with Viacom18. The five teams were purchased for ₹4,699.99 crore, and the inaugural players’ auction was completed at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, where five franchises spent a whopping ₹59.50 crore to procure the services of some of the biggest names in women’s cricket.
The WPL’s potential
The WPL 2023 has already attracted attention from cricketing nations and investors, and the BCCI is projecting it as a success story. The league aims to be the most competitive tournament that women’s cricket has ever seen, and it has the potential to transform women’s cricket in India. The WPL is a much-needed platform for women cricketers to showcase their talents.
With the number of women’s games still considerably less than that of men, the 22 matches in the WPL would be an opportunity for young players to get a taste of elite-level cricket before breaking into the senior national team. The league aims to edge past the Women’s Big Bash League and The Hundred in terms of quality and reach.
The WPL 2023 is not just about the present but the future. The prices paid in the inaugural players’ auction were a clear indication that the prices are going to skyrocket in years to come. Franchises have invested heavily in the league knowing that they wouldn’t break even any time soon. This is a long-term investment, and the franchises are banking on the growing popularity of women’s sport across the world.
The WPL 2023 – Check out all the exciting line up and match, telecast details
The WPL has the potential to transform women’s cricket in India. It serves as a huge platform for cricketers to showcase their talents and provides young players the opportunity to get a taste of elite-level cricket before breaking into the senior national team. The league aims to be the most competitive tournament that women’s cricket has ever seen, and it has the potential to transform women’s cricket in India.asics to get them up to date with the new event.
How many teams are there in the Women’s Premier League?
For the first edition of the tournament, five franchises were bought by different owners and they are based in five different cities in India. The five franchises are- Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz.
What are the venues for WPL 2023?
It must occur to people that if there are five franchises, then they must play home and away games like IPL. Sadly though, this is not the case for the first season and the league governing body has decided to host all the matches in Mumbai itself. The two grounds chosen for the matches are Dr Dy Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
What is the format of the Women’s Premier League 2023?
If the teams are not playing on a home-and-away basis and if all the matches are being played at just two venues in one city, then would the teams still be playing against each other twice as it happens in most of the leagues? The answer to this question is also ‘no’ as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to make the first edition of the WPL a round-robin format.
Each team will play against the other once and a total of 20 league matches will be played before the top three teams are decided. The number-one-ranked team will directly qualify for the final while the number two and three will meet in a playoff and the winner will make its way to the final. The final will be held on March 26 at the Brabourne Stadium.
Who are the captains of all five teams?
The five teams are led by very known faces in the cricketing world. Record five times world cup winning skipper, Australia’s Meg Lanning will lead Delhi Capitals. Gujarat Giants will be led by yet another Aussie Beth Mooney. Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the Mumbai Indians while another Indian Smriti Mandhana leads the Royal Challengers Bangalore unit. UP Warriorz are led by Aussie wicketkeeper batter Alyssa Healy.
How many foreign players are allowed in the playing 11?
The rule is the same as IPL with four foreigners allowed in the playing 11 of each team. However, there is a slight tweak as the WPL has allowed teams to field five foreigners with the fifth being a member of the Associate Nation. Only the Delhi franchise has signed up Tara Norris of the USA, which is an Associate Nation.
What do all the squads look like?
Mumbai Indians Squad for WPL 2023
Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amanjot Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Heather Graham, Issy Wong, Chloe Tryon, Priyanka Bala, Dhara Gujjar, Saika Ishaque, Humairaa Kaazi, Sonam Yadav, Jintimani Kalita, Neelam Bisht, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia, Amelia Kerr
Royal Challengers Bangalore Squad for WPL 2023
Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Heather Knight, Megan Schutt, Kanika Ahuja, Erin Burns, Dane van Niekerk, Preeti Bose, Komal Zanzad, Disha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Shobana, Poonam Khemnar, Sahana Pawar, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh
Delhi Capitals Squad for WPL 2023
Meg Lanning, Alice Capsey, Shikha Pandey, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Radha Yadav, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Sneha Deepthi, Arundhati Reddy, Titas Sadhu, Jasia Akhter, Tara Norris, Aparna Mondal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp
Gujarat Giants Squad for WPL 2023
Ash Gardner, Sneh Rana, Beth Mooney, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Sophia Dunkley, Deandra Dottin, Hurley Gala, Sushma Verma, Tanuja Kanwar, Harleen Deol, Ashwani Kumari, S Meghana, Mansi Joshi, D Hemalatha, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Shabnam Shakil
UP Warriorz
Alyssa Healy (c), Deepti Sharma (vc), Grace Harris, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell, Parshavi Chopra, S Yashasri, Laxmi Yadav, Simran Shaikh, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail
