MUMBAI: The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be played from March 4 to 26 in Mumbai, while the players auction will take place on February 13, IPL Governing Council chairman Arun Dhumal has confirmed.
“Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium will host the tournament that will be played between March 4 and 26,” Dhumal told Sportstar. Dhumal added that the players auction will take place on February 13 in Mumbai, a day after India’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan.
The WPL Player Auction list is out with a total of 409 cricketers set to go under the hammer at the Jio World Convention Centre here on February 13th. A total of 1,525 players registered for the inaugural player auction and the final list was pruned to 409 players.
Out of 409 players, 246 are Indians and 163 are overseas players of which 8 players are from associate nations. The total capped players are 202, uncapped players are 199 and 8 from associate nations.
A maximum of 90 slots are available with the five teams, with 30 being slotted for overseas players.
“INR 50 Lakh is the highest reserve price with 24 players choosing to be slotted in the highest bracket. Team India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and India’s Under-19 T20 World Cup-winning captain Shafali Verma are amongst the few Indians who have slotted themselves in the highest bracket.
“13 overseas players have also slotted themselves under the INR 50 Lakh reserve price with the likes of Ellyse Perry, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Devine & Deandra Dottin to name a few. 30 players are in the auction list with a base price of INR 40 Lakh,” the BCCI said in a statement.
Adani Sportsline, IndiaWin Sports (Reliance), Royal Challengers, JSW-GMR Cricket Pvt Ltd and Capri Global won the rights to own teams in the WPL.
With the five teams fetching Rs 4,669.99 crore and the BCCI selling the media rights to Reliance-controlled Viacom18 for Rs 951 crore, the WPL is already the second biggest T20 League in the world, only behind the Indian Premier League, before a single ball has been bowled.
Each team will have a purse of Rs 12 crore at the players’ auction and will need to buy a minimum of 15 players and maximum of 18. Up to five overseas players, including one from an associate member, will be allowed in the playing 11.
A total of 22 games will be played in the inaugural season with the top-ranked team in the league stage qualifying directly for the final. The second and third placed teams will battle out for a place in the final
On January 16, BCCI awarded five-year media rights of the WPL to Viacom for Rs 951 crore for the period 2023 to 2027.
