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It’s been only 17 months since the Indian Women’s Premier League (WPL) launched, but it is already the biggest women’s cricket league by all metrics. In just the first season of the tournament, it became the most-watched domestic cricket league in the history of women’s cricket. The finals alone attracted a staggering 10 million viewers globally, making it the highest viewership record for a women’s cricket match and the highest global viewership for any women’s sports event.
According to Forbes, the league attracted over $572 million in investments even before its launch. Notably, $116 million was spent securing the league’s media rights for the next five years, the second most expensive media rights acquisition in women’s sports history, just behind the WNBA.
This WPL’s incredible and instant success is indeed a promising sign for women’s cricket and the advancement of women’s sports globally. This article explores how the league has surpassed expectations to achieve this unprecedented rise. We’ll cover WPL’s origin, the teams involved, and the highlights from the first two seasons. Let’s dive right in!
The Birth of the Women’s Premier League
The idea of an Indian women’s cricket league came after the India women’s national team finished second in the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. The reasoning behind it was to create a women’s version of the men’s Twenty20 cricket league, the IPL. This birthed the Women’s T20 Challenge, the first major women’s T20 cricket tournament in 2018.
At that time, it was only a single-match tournament between IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas. However, the succeeding editions of the tournament were expanded to accommodate three teams who played in a three-match competition. This tournament version ran for three years: 2019, 2020 and 2022.
Upon conclusion of the Women’s T20 challenge in 2022, the then BCCI President announced plans to fully launch the WPL in 2023 to replace the Women’s T20 challenge. The league was scheduled to include five teams, three of which are female versions of their IPL male counterparts.
WPL: Teams and Tournament Format
As mentioned earlier, WPL currently features only five teams instead of the ten in the Men’s IPL. Here’s a list of the five WPL teams and their current home stadium:
- Delhi Capitals (Arun Jaitley Stadium)
- Gujarat Giants (Narendra Modi Stadium)
- Mumbai Indians (Wankhede Stadium)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium)
- UP Warriorz (BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium)
The WPL currently follows a format similar to that of the IPL. It begins with a group stage where every team plays against each other in a double round-robin format. Teams earn two points for winning, and the top three qualify for the next round. Notably, the first-placed team proceeds directly to the final, where they’ll play against the winner from the knockout between the second and third-placed teams.
The league has recorded unprecedented success over its first two seasons, gaining massive attention from millions of fans and enthusiasts. Besides viewership, it also garners a lot of betting action from punters worldwide. You can read more about sports betting here.
Building on this meteoric rise, the BCCI is set to increase the number of competing teams in the future seasons.
Tournament Seasons and Results
The first season of the WPL kicked off on the 4th of March, 2023. It started with group-stage matches that saw the three top teams proceed to the tournament’s knockout round. The Delhi Capitals came first with 12 points after winning six of their eight group-stage matches. This made them qualify directly for the final.
Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz came second and third place with 12 and 8 points, respectively. The Mumbai Indians defeated the UP Warriors and Delhi Capitals in the elimination and final, respectively. Specifically, they won the playoffs against UP Warriors by 72 runs and the finals against Delhi by seven wickets. The tournament featured 22 matches, which all ended on the 26th of March, 2023. US$ 1.2 million was paid as prize money to the tournament winner.
The tournament’s second season took place earlier this year, running from the 23rd of February to the 17th of March. Delhi Capitals were again runner-ups after they finished first place in the group stage. They lost the final by eight wickets to Royal Challengers Bangalore, who defeated last season’s champion, Mumbai Indians, in the knockout match.
What Made the WPL a Success?
Several factors contributed to the WPL’s incredible and instant success. One of them is India’s affinity for cricket as a sport. This widespread love for the game provided a strong foundation for the WPL’s success.
Another factor that contributed to this success is the IPL. The IPL is currently the highest-rated T20 cricket league in the world. It is safe to say that it’s the face of domestic cricket. The BCCI built on this incredible success and reputation that the IPL has built over the years to give the WPL an advantage over other pre-existing domestic cricket leagues like the Australian Women’s Big Bash League. Furthermore, having notable IPL teams like the Mumbai Indians, RCB, and Delhi Capitals buy into the WPL to establish female versions of their franchises has contributed incredibly to WPL’s attention.
Other important factors, such as sponsorship and broadcasting, played significant roles in the WPL’s outstanding rise. Notably, because there was more than enough to run the league financially, women were allowed to attend WPL matches without paying for tickets in the first season. That also contributed to the record-breaking attendance numbers that were recorded match after match.
Conclusion
The Indian Women’s Premier League (WPL) has quickly become a game-changer in women’s cricket, showcasing impressive growth and success in a short time. This remarkable rise isn’t just a sign of India’s passion for cricket but also a powerful symbol of progress and recognition for women’s sports around the globe.
