On Tuesday, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced that TATA Group has secured the title rights for the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023. Shah took to Twitter to express his excitement about the partnership, stating that he believes the TATA Group's support will take women's cricket to the next level. The WPL 2023 will begin on March 4 at the DY Patil Stadium with a match between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians.
The first season of the WPL will feature a total of 20 league matches and two playoff games that will take place over 23 days. The league consists of five teams: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and UP Warriorz. The first double-header day will occur on March 5, with Royal Challengers Bangalore playing against Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium, CCI, and UP Warriorz taking on 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 begin at 1930 hrs IST. The DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai will each host 11 matches. The league stage will conclude on March 21 with a match between UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium, CCI. The Eliminator will take place on March 24 at the DY Patil Stadium, and the Final of the Women's Premier League 2023 will be held on March 26 at the Brabourne Stadium.
Ahead of the league, the five franchises invested heavily in acquiring top talent from both the international and domestic circuits. Royal Challengers Bangalore bought India's Smriti Mandhana for INR 3.40 crore, making her the top purchase, while Mumbai Indians secured Team India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur for INR 1.80 crore. Other stars from India and around the globe were also included in one of the five franchises. Among the foreign players, Ashleigh Gardner of Australia and Natalie Sciver of England were the top buys, sold to Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians, respectively, for INR 3.20 crore each. Shafali Verma, the ICC U19 T20 World Cup-winning captain, was the top purchase from India's U19 stars, sold to Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore.