Women's Indian Premier League (WPL): Cricket's Newest Mega Franchise
The Women's IPL (WPL) launched in 2023 and immediately became the world's most lucrative women's cricket competition. Its franchise model, star players and television reach are transforming women's cricket in India.
The WPL's Launch in 2023
The Women's Premier League (WPL) held its first season in March 2023 — the most successful launch of any women's cricket tournament in history. Five franchise teams contested the inaugural season: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. Mumbai Indians won the first WPL title. The five franchise auction prices totalled ₹4,669.99 crore (approximately $550 million USD) — far beyond what any women's sport franchise auction had previously generated globally.
Player Salaries and Commercial Revolution
The WPL transformed women's cricket's commercial landscape overnight. Player salaries in the WPL are multiples of what women's cricketers earned before — international stars are contracted at ₹1-2 crore per season, compared to BCCI annual contracts that previously paid a fraction of that. The competition attracts elite players from Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand alongside India's top players, creating genuinely world-class competition.
Smriti Mandhana and Indian Superstars
Smriti Mandhana became the most expensive WPL player when Royal Challengers Bangalore acquired her for ₹3.4 crore (approximately $400,000) in the inaugural auction. Her profile, combined with Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, gave Indian women's cricket its most commercially visible generation of players. The WPL gave these players an India-based tournament to showcase their skills to domestic audiences who had never previously watched women's cricket seriously.
Impact on Women's Cricket Globally
The WPL's commercial success immediately pressured other boards to develop or expand their own women's competitions. The Women's Big Bash League in Australia was already well-established; the WPL's arrival created competitive pressure for salary parity and broader commercial rights across women's cricket globally. Player agents gained leverage; broadcast rights increased; and the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup attracted record global viewership — in part because so many of the competing players had been elevated to celebrity status through the WPL.
Frequently asked questions
When did the Women's IPL start?
The Women's Premier League (WPL) held its inaugural season in March 2023. Five franchises competed: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. Mumbai Indians won the first title. The franchise auction totals made it immediately the most valuable women's sports competition ever established, with total auction prices exceeding ₹4,600 crore.
How many teams are in the WPL?
The Women's Premier League has five teams: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. Each team plays home matches at major Indian stadiums. The competition runs for approximately four weeks annually, typically in February-March before the men's IPL begins.