The Women’s Premier League (WPL), a new cricket tournament for women in India, has found its title sponsor in Tata Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate. Tata Group, which also holds the title rights for Indian Premier League (IPL), has signed a five-year deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the WPL. The value of the sponsorship is yet to be revealed.
The WPL will feature five teams owned by reputed entities that bid successfully for the right to own and operate them. The owners include three IPL franchises – Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore – as well as Adani Group and Capri Global. The teams are based in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Lucknow.
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 pic.twitter.com/L05vXeDx1j
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) February 21, 2023
The BCCI has also sold the media rights for the WPL to Viacom 18 for a five-year period (2023-27) for INR 951 crore. The total revenue generated by the BCCI from the WPL is estimated at around INR 4670 crore.
The inaugural edition of the WPL will start from March 4 and will consist of 22 matches played across two venues: DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. The first match will be between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians at DY Patil Stadium. The final will be held at Brabourne Stadium after 20 league matches and an eliminator.
The format of the tournament is similar to that of IPL, with each team playing against each other twice in a round-robin stage. The top team will qualify directly for the final, while the second and third teams will compete in an eliminator to decide the other finalist.
The WPL comes close on the heels of Women’s T20 World Cup, which will end on February 27 in Cape Town, South Africa.
