Tag Archives: Womens Premier League

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Harmanpreet Kaur named captain of Mumbai Indians side for WPL 2023

Mumbai Indians on Wednesday appointed India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur as the captain of their women’s team ahead of the inaugural season of Women’s Premier League (WPL).

Harmanpreet recently became the first cricketer to play 150 T20Is while leading India’s campaign in recently-concluded Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 and has been with the Indian team for over a decade now across formats, since making her debut at the age of 20 in 2009.

Harmanpreet also holds the record for the highest ever individual score in a knockout game in a Women’s World Cup match (171 not out against Australia in 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final).

“We are thrilled to have Harmanpreet as the captain of Mumbai Indians’ first-ever women’s cricket team. As the national captain, she has led the Indian Women’s team to some of their most exciting wins.”

“And I am sure that with Charlotte and Jhulan’s support, she will inspire our MI women’s team to play their best cricket, display a sense of pride, and bring even more glory to women in sports.”

“We are so looking forward to the beginning of this new chapter for MI! I can’t wait to see our girls play the fearless and entertaining MI brand of cricket that our fans adore. More power to Harmanpreet and the entire MI team on this exciting journey ahead!” said Nita Ambani, Director of Reliance Industries, owners of the franchise.

Harmanpreet has played against current Mumbai head coach Charlotte Edwards and has played alongside as well as captained mentor and bowling coach Jhulan Goswami. She is also the first Indian women’s cricketer to play in T20 leagues in other parts of the world. Apart from Jhulan and Charlotte, Mumbai also have Devieka Palshikaar and Lydia Greenway as batting and fielding coach respectively.

Harmanpreet will now lead a team that comprises some of the biggest names in women’s cricket and youngsters who are looking forward to showcase their talent in the inaugural edition of the WPL.

Mumbai Indians team also comprises of Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia, Heather Graham, Isabelle Wong, Amanjot Kaur, Dhara Gujjar, Saika Ishaque, Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tryon, Humairaa Kaazi, Priyanka Bala, Sonam Yadav, Neelam Bisht, and Jintimani Kalita. Mumbai Indians play the season opener of WPL 2023 on March 2 at DY Patil Stadium against Gujarat Giants.

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EaseMyTrip enters an advertisement agreement with Capri Global Holdings Private Limited for five years of WPL

With just a week left for the much-awaited maiden edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), EaseMyTrip, one of India’s largest online travel tech platforms, announced that it entered an advertisement agreement with Capri Global Holdings Private Limited, the franchise owner of the team, UP Warriorz.

The agreement lasts for five years, beginning from the tournament’s first season.

The T20 cricket tournament organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is being looked at as a game-changer for women athletes. The WPL will not only create conversations around the women’s game, but it will also become a pathway for talent. Women cricketers taking center stage will be the cynosure of all eyes. This will inspire younger players to come through the ranks and share the field with the who’s who of the sport, furnishing a healthy grassroots system that keeps producing special performers on the world stage. EaseMyTrip will benefit from millions of views by this association.

Speaking on the development, Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, said, “At EaseMyTrip, we consistently display an innovative and maverick mindset. From being the only company in the industry to provide the benefit of no convenience fee charged to all our customers to now being a commercial partner in the pathbreaking endeavor for women’s cricket, EaseMyTrip is becoming a pillar for progress. At the heart of this association is our unwavering support for the WPL and its inaugural season.”

”We are extremely delighted to be commercially engaged in the first edition of a tournament that will become women’s cricket’s biggest brand in the coming years. We are also looking to leverage the brand visibility that has tremendous potential, as millions of fans will be glued to their television sets watching the celebration of talent that the WPL is,” he added.

“Capri Global Holding Private Limited and the UP Warriorz welcome EaseMyTrip into the family in what promises to be an exciting long-term partnership in a revolutionary journey in women’s cricket in India. The unfaltering support from EaseMyTrip will not only pave the way for greater brand visibility but also lay out the red carpet to celebrate and honour the immense talent in women’s cricket,” said Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, Capri Global Holdings Private Limited.

The initial season of the league will broadcast in India on the Sports18 TV channel and the Jio Cinema app.

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Dream11, CEAT Tyres & Amul announced as Partners for TATA WPL 2023

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the list of partners for the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), slated to start in March next month.

Earlier, the Indian board had named Tata as the title sponsor for the WPL and it has now announced to have signed Dream11, CEAT Tyres and Amul as other official partners.

The three brands are pioneers and industry leaders in their respective categories and will be associated for three seasons from 2023 to 2025.

“Dream11, the largest fantasy sports platform in the country with a user base of more than 120 million, will be the Official Fantasy Partner of the WPL. CEAT Tyres and the BCCI have extended its long standing partnership and will be the Official Strategic Timeout Partner of the WPL. The underlying ethos of a safe, sustainable and smarter future synergizes with the values and principles of the WPL,” the BCCI said in the statement.

“Amul, the largest in the world in the dairy category, has had a path breaking journey which resonates with the inaugural WPL. As the Official Beverage Partner, fans will be provided with a wide offering of Amul products at all WPL stadiums,” it added.

Notably, the maiden season of WPL will kick-off from March 4 where Mumbai Indians will be up against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.

The final of the cash-rich league will be played at the Brabourne Stadium on 26th March.

“There is rising interest in the inaugural edition of the TATA Women’s Premier League. New partners coming on board is a testament to the quality and popularity that the tournament is set to garner amongst the fans and other stakeholders. We are sure that the league will provide ample opportunities for players to showcase their class and talent. We thank all the partners for their support as we look forward to a fruitful inaugural edition of the TATA Women’s Premier League,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on the associations.

“The TATA Women’s Premier League is going to be a significant tournament in the cricket calendar and it is wonderful to have the official partners on board. We believe this is a very positive sign for women’s cricket in India and the marquee tournament is going to grow from strength to strength in the years to follow. I thank all our partners for their support on this wonderful journey. We are sure that we will deliver great value to them,” IPL chairman Arun Dhumal said.

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Delighted to name Tata Group as title sponsor of WPL: Jay Shah

BCCI Secretary has announced that TATA Group has bagged the title rights for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023.

Taking to twitter, Shah shared the development: “I am delighted to announce the #TataGroup as the title sponsor of the inaugural #WPL. With their support, we’re confident that we can take women’s cricket to the next level. @BCCI @BCCIWomen @wplt20.”

The WPL 2023 will begin with a blockbuster clash between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians on March 4 at the DY Patil Stadium.

In its first season, the WPL will stage a total of 20 league matches and two Playoff games that will be played in a duration of 23 days.

The league, which have five teams — Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore & UP Warriorz — will have its first double-header day on March 5 when Royal Challengers Bangalore will square off against Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium, CCI while UP Warriorz will play their first game of the league against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium.

There will be four double headers with the first match starting at 1530 hrs IST and all evening matches will start at 1930 hrs IST. A total of 11 matches each will be held at the DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the BCCI said in a media release.

The final game of the league stage will be played between UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals on March 21 at the Brabourne Stadium, CCI.

The Eliminator will be played at the DY Patil Stadium on March 24. The Final of the Women’s Premier League 2023 will be played at the Brabourne Stadium on March 26.

Earlier, the five franchises splurged their purse to acquire some of the best talents in the international and domestic circuit for the inaugural edition of the league.

India’s Smriti Mandhana was the top buy as she was sold for a whopping INR 3.40 crore to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Team India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was sold to Mumbai Indians for INR 1.80 crore while the rest of the stars from India and around the globe too made the cut in one of the five franchises.

Among the foreign players, Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner and England all-rounder Natalie Sciver were the top buys as they were sold to Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians for INR 3.20 crore respectively.

From the India U19 stars, ICC U19 T20 World Cup-winning captain, Shafali Verma was the top buy, sold to Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore.

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Lucknow franchise in WPL named ‘UP Warriorz’

Capri Global Holdings Private Limited, owners of the Lucknow franchise in the inaugural Womens Premier League (WPL) on Friday announced the side has been named as “UP Warriorz”.

Jon Lewis, currently the head coach of the England women’s team, has been appointed as the head coach of the team. Former India women’s captain Anju Jain will be the assistant coach.

Former Australia men’s cricketer Ashley Noffke is the bowling coach, while Lisa Sthalekar, the four-time World Cup winner with the Australian women’s team in ODIs and T20Is, will be playing the mentor’s role in the side.

The 47-year old Lewis was the bowling coach for the England men’s team in 2021, and worked with an elite group of bowlers in Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes during his stint with the national men’s team. He played 16 times for England men’s team apart from representing Gloucestershire, Surrey and Sussex in County Cricket.

“I am delighted to be part of the Capri Global Holdings Private Limited family with the UP Warriorz and expect this to be a fascinating insight into the depth of cricket in India and a high-octane ride for the next couple of months.”

The WPL is a huge step forward for women’s cricket globally and I am excited to be an integral part of this journey. Having Anju Jain, Ashley Noffke and Lisa Sthalekar who bring in a diverse set of experiences to the dugout can only make the task a whole lot easier,” Lewis said in a media release.

Anju holds the distinction of being the first Indian women’s cricketer to represent the country in four ODI World Cups in an international career from 1993 to 2005. She was also India women’s head coach from 2011 to 2013 and has coached Odisha, Tripura, Assam, Vidarbha and Baroda teams at domestic level.

The former wicket keeper-batter was the coach for the Tornadoes, who won their first title in the 2022 edition of the FairBreak Invitational T20 competition. She has also been the head coach for the Bangladesh women’s cricket team from 2018 to 2020, in a coaching career that has spanned over 12 years.

Meanwhile, Noffke coached Brisbane Heat to the knockout stages of four consecutive editions of the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia, winning the title in 2019 and will also coach London Spirit in women’s edition of the Hundred in the next two seasons.

“We believe in the huge potential of women’s cricket in India. While this is our fourth professional sports team, I believe we have just started this journey, and look forward to making significant strides. We want the team to be a source of inspiration for young women cricketers and the people in one of India’s biggest and most beautiful states, Uttar Pradesh.”

We at UP Warriorz are delighted to be associated with names like Head Coach Jon Lewis and Anju Jain. Both are established figures in terms of leadership and bring to the table a wealth of cricketing experience, which will help guide a new team,” said Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, Capri Global Holdings Private Limited.

The inaugural edition of Women’s Premier League is set to be played in Mumbai from March 4-26. A total of 22 matches will be played with the Brabourne Stadium & DY Patil Stadium playing hosts to the marquee tournament. The Player Auction for the WPL will be held in Mumbai on February 13.

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WPL will unearth stars of the future, Needs prime time telecast: Mithali Raj

Mithali Raj, known for her unparalleled batting skills and fierce determination on the cricket field, revealed a new facet of her personality on ‘Duologue with Barun Das’ streaming now on the world’s first news OTT – News9 Plus.

“Mithali’s unique perspective on leadership and well-structured ideas on bridging the gap in a ‘man vs woman’ sporting culture made the duologue an insightful and memorable one,” said Barun Das, MD & CEO of TV9 Network who also dons host’s hat on the series.

Asked if she is ready to take up the role of an administrator after a successful cricketing career, Raj said, “Yes. If I can be part of any role in administration to chalk out the structure for the grass root level or to (create) a yearly calendar for women’s cricket… and always (be) there for women cricketers whenever they feel the need to talk something out.”

While recounting the multiple successes she encountered in her 23-year-long professional journey, Raj also candidly shared some of her regrets. “Despite being part of six world cups that I have played, I couldn’t get… the trophy. That probably is one thing that is missing in my cabin,” she expressed.

Being forthright comes naturally to the former captain. On the very first episode, she discloses her reasons for announcing her retirement from cricket on social media on 8th June 2022. But moving beyond bygones, Raj spoke on the critical role media plays in shaping public perception of female athletes and expressed her desire for furthering equal representation and opportunities as her male counterparts.

“Why BCCI is able to have a pay parity now is because for a long time the (women’s) team has been doing well. They have gradually started to market it because the team is giving results and marketing helped to let people come and watch or probably view it on any platform or television and that’s how you got digital rights. Other federations also need to do that,” she said.

About her confidence of women’s cricket attracting audiences, Raj said that marketing and timing are important. “If you don’t show the matches in prime time and if it is not a weekend, then I’m not sure if we can have crowds turning up for the matches,” she said on the upcoming Women’s Premier League slated for March 2023. However, she if confident about the format. “The WPL definitely will unearth a lot of stars of the future & increase the pool of talent that we have in our domestic structure,” she added.

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WPL 2023 player auction list announced

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League will be played in Mumbai between March 4-26 where a total of 22 matches will be held with the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium playing hosts to the marquee tournament.

Ahead of the tournament, the WPL Player Auction list has been released by the Indian cricket board as per which a total of 409 cricketers will be going under the hammer at the Jio World Convention Centre here on February 13.

Notably, as many as A 1525 players had registered for the inaugural WPL 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.

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Mumbai, Ahmedabad reportedly to play in WPL 2023 opener on March 4

The inaugural edition of the Womens Premier League (WPL) could begin with a game between Mumbai and Ahmedabad teams facing off in a highly-anticipated opener at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on March 4.

As per a report in Cricbuzz, a tentative schedule, being circulated among the relevant authorities of the yet to be launched league, has the Mumbai-Ahmedabad face-off marked for March 4 to kickstart the WPL.

Notably, the two franchises are owned by industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam AdanI.

The report further added that apart from DY Patil Stadium, the CCI-Brabourne Stadium is earmarked as another venue as the historic Wankhede Stadium, the primary venue in the city, is being left for an India-Australia men’s ODI on March 17 and is followed by the IPL, which is likely to start on April 1.

The report added that the return match between Mumbai and Ahmedabad teams in the WPL is scheduled for March 14. In the second match of the tentative WPL schedule, Team Bengaluru will face Team Delhi at CCI on March 5, when a double header has been slated.

Gujarat Giants will return to play on Day Two, against Team Lucknow (named as Lucknow Warriors), at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday night. With the competition between five teams, the report also said three of the five competing sides could make it to the play-offs, with the table toppers directly entering the final. It means that second and third-placed sides will be playing the Eliminator.

The report also added that the WPL, having 22 matches, will have five off days, the first one being on March 17 and again two days later, the second break, on March 19. The next two are after the completion of the league stage, on March 22 and 23. The Eliminator is on March 24 at CCI and with the final on March 26, a Sunday, at DY Patil Stadium after the fifth and final off day on March 25.

Adani Group, through Adani Sportsline Pvt. Ltd got the Ahmedabad franchise named Gujarat Giants with the highest bid of INR 1289 crores, Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd acquired Mumbai franchise with a bid of INR 912.99 crores.

Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd, JSW GMR Cricket Pvt. Ltd and Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd won the rest of the three teams, Bangalore, Delhi and Lucknow (named as Lucknow Warriors) with winning bids of INR 901 crores, INR 810 crores and INR 757 crores respectively.

Viacom18 Media Private Limited had won the consolidated bid for media rights (i.e., Global Televisions Rights and Global Digital Rights) of the WPL for 2023-2027. Viacom18 won the rights with a bid of INR 951 crores, which translates to a per match value of INR 7.09 crores.

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Ahmedabad franchise in WPL to be called ‘Gujarat Giants’

The Ahmedabad franchise in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be called ‘Gujarat Giants, the owners — Adani Sportsline, the sports arm of the Adani Group — has announced.

Notably, the Adani Group acquired the Ahmedabad franchise with the highest bid of Rs 1289 crores at the auction held by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday.

It is expected that the inaugural edition of the WPL could be held in March this year while the player auction for the tournament is likely to be held in February.

“The Indian women’s cricket team has been doing exceptionally well — and a cricket league for women is a significant step in creating more opportunities for women through sports,” said Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises.

The Gujarat Giants cricket franchise in the upcoming Women’s Premier League joins Adani Sportsline’s family of successful teams, like the Gulf Giants in the ongoing ILT20 in the UAE, and the Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League.

“Cricket is an inseparable part of the country’s fabric and Adani Sportsline was keen to begin their association with the sport with the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League. While I wish every other franchise the very best, I look forward to the Gujarat Giants standing out as the top team in this new, exciting league,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals (RR), the IPL 2008 champions congratulated the BCCI for bringing WPL closer towards turning it into reality.

“We would like to extend our best wishes for this new beginning to all the successful bidders and also congratulate the BCCI on bringing the Women’s Premier League to life. It is a huge step forward for Indian cricket, and will prove to be a game changer for women’s sports across the globe,” the franchise said in an official statement.

The franchise had also bid for a team in the WPL, but were unable to be among the top five winning bidders.

Apart from Adani Sportsline, Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd acquired the Mumbai franchise with a bid of INR 912.99 crores. Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd, JSW GMR Cricket Pvt. Ltd and Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd won the rest of the three teams, Bangalore, Delhi and Lucknow respectively with winning bids of INR 901 crores, INR 810 crores and INR 757 crores respectively.

“That being said, we are obviously disappointed not to have won the bid for a team in this historic inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League. We always knew there was going to be a lot of competition given the IPL’s success in the men’s format, but still were hopeful of securing a women’s franchise to extend the Royals Family and hope there will be an opportunity to do so in the future,” RR said.

Rajasthan remarked they would continue to do their bit of unearthing next generation of female cricketers in India.

“At the Royals, we have been deeply committed to the women’s game and that will continue. We are significantly investing in our new talent hunt ‘Cricket Ka Ticket’ to find the best female cricketers from across the country and provide them with a development pathway to the new Women’s Premier League and hopefully the India team, while our High Performance Centre in Nagpur continues to serve as a hub for both female and male athletes through world-class coaching to aid in their overall progression,” it said.

“With the objective of strengthening women’s grassroots cricket even further, we will also continue to invest in organising and expanding competitions such as the Rajasthan Royals Women’s Cup which can prove to be a stepping stone for potential female cricketing superstars of Indian cricket.”

Our intention is to keep scaling these investments and also look at other avenues to enable the growth of women’s cricket in India, and take it to the next level,” it added.

Earlier, on January 16, Viacom18 Media Private Limited won the consolidated bid for media rights (i.e., Global Televisions Rights and Global Digital Rights) of the WPL for the period of 2023-2027.

Viacom18 won the rights with a bid of INR 951 crores, which translates to a per match value of INR 7.09 crores. It is believed that 22 matches could be held for the first three seasons with a possibility of increasing the matches to either 33 or 34 from 2026 onwards.