The idea of Women’s Indian Premier League (WPL) was first mooted in 2016 by the then BCCI president Anurag Thakur. The first step towards the formation of the league was taken in 2018 when the BCCI organized a one-off exhibition match ahead of the IPL playoffs in Mumbai. The match featured two teams, IPL Trailblazers, and IPL Supernovas, captained by Indian women’s cricket team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana respectively.
The success of the exhibition match led to the BCCI’s decision to hold a Women’s T20 Challenge tournament in 2018, which was contested by three teams. The tournament was held alongside the IPL playoffs and featured some of the biggest names in women’s cricket, including Suzie Bates, Danielle Wyatt, and Ellyse Perry.
The Women’s T20 Challenge was held again in 2019 and 2020, with four teams competing in the latter edition. The BCCI’s decision to organize a full-fledged Women’s Indian Premier League in 2021 marked a major milestone in the growth of women’s cricket in India. The league is expected to provide a platform for talented female cricketers to showcase their skills and potentially earn a livelihood from the sport.
The first season of WPL is set to begin in March 2023, and the excitement around the league is already building up among cricket fans in India and around the world.
WPL 2023 Broadcast Details:
The WPL 2023 will be televised live on the Sports18 Network in India. It will be live streamed on the JioCinema app and website.
