The much awaited Women’s Premier League (WPL) is almost here and all set to create history. It would be the first time women cricketers from across the world would be seen competing on such a grand stage. With little time left for the tournament, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is working very hard to finalise things to make the maiden league a success.
After the auction of media rights and sale of five teams for a massive amount, some new latest updates have come in regarding the venue and schedule of WPL 2023.
The inaugural edition of the WPL is expected to begin on March 4 after the conclusion of the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. According to a report by Cricbuzz, the first-ever match of the maiden season will be played between Ambani-owned Mumbai and Adani’s Ahmedabad (Gujarat Giants franchise).
Notably, both Mumbai and Ahmedabad are the most expensive-bought teams in the league, as they were acquired for a whopping INR 1289 and 912 crores.
The report also claims that the entire WPL 2023 will take place exclusively at two venues, namely The Cricket Club of India’s (CCI) Barbourne stadium and Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil stadium. In December 2022, the same grounds hosted Australia versus India five-match T20I series. Meanwhile, the player auction for the first season will most likely be held in Mumbai on February 13.
On the other hand, unlike the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL), WPL will have a new format in which the team finishing first in the league’s points table directly sails to the final, while the teams finishing second and third would compete in the eliminator with the winner making it to the ultimate championship battle. The semi-final and summit clash of the WPL will be held on March 24 and 26, respectively.
