WPL 2023: Wednesday, January 25th, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the five brand-new franchises in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) to usher in a new era of women’s cricket. While fans eagerly await the start of the WPL, the five franchises will now focus on the off-field business of auctions.
When might the WPL begin?
The inaugural season of the WPL is scheduled to begin in March and could last longer than two weeks. The plan is to conclude the WPL season prior to the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season so that the venues can accommodate both tournaments. Currently, the tentative dates for the tournament are March 4–24, and it could last up to 21 days.
Arun Dhumal, chairman of the Indian Premier League, stated after Wednesday’s auction that the tournament’s schedule and itinerary, as well as the number of grounds to be utilised, are “in progress.” The BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, stated that the player auction would likely take place in the first week of February.
Through the sale of the five teams, BCCI will earn 4,669.99 Cr. Notably, the Women’s League has revealed the following franchise prices and five cities:
- Adani Sportsline Pvt. Ltd- Ahmedabad- 1289 crores
- Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd- Mumbai- 912.99 crores
- Royal Challengers Sports- Bengaluru- 901 crores
- JSW GMR Cricket Pvt. Ltd- Delhi- 810 crores
- Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd- Lucknow- 757 crores
When is the IPL final game?
While there was no official announcement regarding the IPL season, it is most likely to begin in the final week of March, with the championship game occurring on May 28. The World Test Championship (WTC) final, which is likely to occur in the first week of June, is one of the factors that will determine the schedule. If the IPL final occurs on the above-mentioned date, the WTC final schedule will also be unaffected, as Indian and Australian players will most likely play in the final based on current standings.
“With regard to [the venues for the] first season, we are still talking,” Dhumal said. “That is work in progress. We will have to see logistical challenges involved in case it (WPL) has to be multi-city value or single-city value.”
The WPL team owners will have an RS 12 crore (approximately USD 1.47 million) auction purse to assemble their squads of 15 to 18 players.
