WIPL 2023 team announcement: Tournament named Women’s Premier League; Adani registers highest bid for Ahmedabad franchise

WIPL 2023 LIVE: The teams participating in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Indian Premier League will be announced on Wednesday. Follow for live updates, franchise news and auction details.

Updated : Jan 27, 2023 09:19 IST

The Women’s T20 Challenge will give way to the Women’s Premier League from 2023. Here’s everything we know about the new tournament, its teams and more.
The Women’s T20 Challenge will give way to the Women’s Premier League from 2023. Here’s everything we know about the new tournament, its teams and more. | Photo Credit: VIVEK BENDRE
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The Women’s T20 Challenge will give way to the Women’s Premier League from 2023. Here’s everything we know about the new tournament, its teams and more. | Photo Credit: VIVEK BENDRE

The teams are out for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Indian Premier League. Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Lucknow are the five city franchises and here are the corporates who have won the rights to own them.

Follow the live reactions coming in here.

S. No. Successful Bidder City Amount in INR
1. Adani Sportsline Pvt. Ltd Ahmedabad 1289 crores
2. Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd Mumbai 912.99 crores
3. Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd Bengaluru 901 crores
4. JSW GMR Cricket Pvt. Ltd Delhi 810 crores
5. Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd Lucknow 757 crores

The tournament will also officially be called the WOMEN’S PREMIER LEAGUE.

TALKING POINTS:

  • Adani Group registers the highest bid in the team-bidding exercise - INR 1289 CR for the Ahmedabad franchise
  • IndiaWin comes second with a 912.99 CR bid for the Mumbai franchise while Royal Challengers Bangalore secured the Bengaluru franchise for 901 CR
  • Chennai Super Kings do not submit bid for a women’s franchise
RCB’s team logo

Royal Challengers Bangalore reacted to winning their bid for the Bengaluru franchise with a specialised logo. England international, Alex Hartley, who is a big RCB fan and urged the franchise to bid and buy a team will be stoked, we are sure! Indian cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy, on the sidelines of the Women’s T20 Challenge last year, had hoped that her city’s team will get into the thick of things in the Women’s IPL effort. Here we are.

Here are the five teams and their owners for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Indian Premier League

ADANI BUYS AHMEDABAD FRANCHISE: The Adani Group buys the Ahmedabad franchise for Rs 1289 crore, the highest bid for WIPL teams.

WHY ARE IPL CHAMPIONS GUJARAT TITANS NOT BIDDING FOR A WOMEN’S IPL TEAM?

Sportstar learned that Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings are among the teams who have not bid to own a team in the inaugural edition of the Women’s IPL. Here’s what a Titans official had to say about that decision. Shayan Acharya reports:

“We want to focus on Gujarat Titans for now and would look for participation in the WIPL in the future.”

The franchise made its IPL debut last year and went on to win the title. A source in the Delhi Capitals confirmed that the franchise will be represented by both GMR and JSW groups, even though they had purchased ITT separately.

Nooshin Al Khadeer, currently the coach of the U19 Women’s Team which is in the middle of a World Cup campaign in South Africa, is among those eagerly waiting for news of the franchises. Will one of the teams potentially rope her in as a coach? One will have to wait and see. Here’s a look at the achievements she has stacked up over the past few years.

HISTORY OF WOMEN’S CRICKET

The Women’s IPL marks a tipping point in the legacy of women’s cricket in India. From the sport being available as a hobby to steps being taken towards an increasingly professional setup, the women’s game has come a long way and Sportstar has had a ringside view of it all. Follow the blog for exclusive images from our archives all day today.

Girls take to cricket seriously. In the picture, fielders stand alert as one of the players drives a ball during practice on the Gandhinagar ground in Madras on July 15, 1973.
Girls take to cricket seriously. In the picture, fielders stand alert as one of the players drives a ball during practice on the Gandhinagar ground in Madras on July 15, 1973. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
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Girls take to cricket seriously. In the picture, fielders stand alert as one of the players drives a ball during practice on the Gandhinagar ground in Madras on July 15, 1973. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES

2:15 PM: Bidding process starts

The BCCI has started the financial bid submission process to own and operate five franchises in the WIPL.

U-19 Indian women’s player to look out for ahead of inaugral WIPL

  • Shweta Sehrawat
  • Parshavi Chopra
  • Titas Sadhu
  • Hurley Gala

How many teams will play in the Women’s IPL?

Women’s IPL will have five teams and BCCI will shortlist bidders according to their highest bid.

Which are the cities which have been shortlisted for Women’s IPL?

BCCI shortlisted 10 cities - Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow, Indore, Bengaluru, Guwahati, and Dharamsala.

Which men’s IPL teams have shown interest in owning franchises?

At least two Indian Premier League franchises - Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans - did not submit the technical bids for the inaugural edition of the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL).

Seven franchises - Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders - have confirmed to  Sportstar that they have submitted the bids on Monday. 

The first season of the women’s IPL is set to begin in 2023, and the bidding process to decide franchises and owners will begin today in Mumbai, where more than ten different bidders will compete for rights to own five teams in the WIPL.

1:00 PM: Scheduled start of bidding

Teams are to assemble at 2pm IST to submit bids. The final decision on the teams will therefore come later in the evening.

When will Women’s IPL start?

The BCCI has not yet provided any official updates regarding the exact dates, but the inaugural season of Women’s IPL is scheduled to begin in March.

Who won the media rights for Women’s IPL?

Viacom 18 has been awarded the media rights for Rs. 951 crores for the first five editions of the Women’s Indian Premier League. Check out the full report here - READ

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