The Indian Women’s Premier League hailed cricket’s game changer

Granted: 12.3.2023 – 12:40

There were five franchises in the auction for the first women’s tournament, and they sold for a total of 534 million. Viacom 18 bought the first five seasons of TV and digital rights for 108 million.

This makes the WPL the second most expensive women’s sports league in the world after the United States Women’s National Basketball Association.

Indian international batsman Smriti Mandhana negotiated a 390,000 deal to join Royal Challengers Bangalore, while England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt went to Mumbai Indians for nearly 360,000.

According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), more than 1,500 candidates have registered for 90 slots, 30 of which are reserved for international players.

In the past, Indian players had limited opportunities to play against international teams and were often overshadowed by their male counterparts. This tournament will help raise the profile of women’s cricket globally, cricketer Madan Kumar told RFI.

The WPL has helped level the playing field and provide equal opportunities for women cricketers in India.

Just a few months ago, WPL seemed like a promise on paper.

However, the BCCI quickly got their act together and struck a massive media rights deal, ensuring that investors came in to acquire five franchises.

It’s time to put women on the map

With a net worth of 2.5 billion, BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world. The directors decided it was important to launch the WPL at a time when global interest in women’s cricket was growing.

The league gives Indian and foreign players an opportunity to learn and grow together. It will pave the way for grassroots development by including more women cricketers,” BCCI president Roger Binny said in a statement.

Many expect the WPL to give women’s cricket a wider platform to attract audiences and sponsors, and allow athletes to earn more.

The three-week tournament will feature 22 games, 20 of which will be played in the league stage and two play-off stages, all of which will be played in Mumbai in the first season.

In the first game, Gujarat Giants played Mumbai Indians.

The other three franchises in the first competition are Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals and Uttar Pradesh Warriorz.

The WPL is the successor to the Women’s T20 Challenge, which ran from 2018 to 2022.

The road to recognition

This now-defunct competition was criticized for only having three teams and only holding four matches, with fans clamoring for a proper women’s professional league to be launched.

Many other cricketing nations such as Australia and England have dominated women’s cricket as their cricket boards have invested in building world-beating talent.

Australia have won six of the eight Women’s T20 World Cups so far.

While women’s cricket in India has won laurels in the past, it has failed to make an impact when it mattered most, especially in crunch matches.

The WPL could well catapult the sport into a new division as well as attract cricketers looking for a viable career option.

“I think it will be a game-changer for all of us because we will experience this pressure for the first time,” said India captain Harmanpreet Kaur after being bought by Mumbai Indians.

I’m excited. This will completely change women’s cricket, not only in India but also in world cricket.