The inaugural auction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is likely to take place on 13 February, in Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre, according to reports in Cricbuzz. The venue and date of the auction were selected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after consideration of the available options amid the ongoing wedding season, the report further adds.
Moreover, it is also said that 13 February was finalised as the date following requests from franchises to not organise the auction before the completion of the International League T20 2023 (ILT20), which is currently being played in the United Arab Emirates. Notably, the owners of Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have franchises in both the WPL and the ILT20.
Earlier on 25 January, BCCI announced the five franchises for the first five iterations of the competition. Besides Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore is the only other team from the Indian Premier League (IPL) who will have representation in the WPL.
Barring these three, Adani Sportsline and Capri Global Holdings will also own WPL franchises, operating teams representing Ahmedabad and Lucknow respectively.
Speaking on the WPL, board secretary Jay Shah had tweeted “This marks the beginning of a revolution in women's cricket and paves the way for a transformative journey ahead not only for our women cricketers but for the entire sports fraternity. The #WPL would bring necessary reforms in women's cricket and would ensure an all-encompassing ecosystem that benefits each and every stakeholder. The BCCI has named the league - Women's Premier League (WPL). Let the journey begin.”
Format and Squad Composition
It was previously reported that each team will be able to sign a maximum of 18 players, among which a maximum of six can be overseas stars. Unlike IPL, where teams are allowed to field only four foreigners in the playing XI, the WPL teams are expected to be allowed to field five foreigners.
Each team is likely to play the other four sides twice – in a round-robin format. The highest-ranked side after the 20 league-stage matches will directly qualify for the final, whilst the second and third-ranked teams will clash in a one-off eliminator to secure the other berth.
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