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Follow UsWhat is the Women’s Premier League (WPL)?
Following the growing interest in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Women’s Premier League was launched in 2023, the first-ever franchise T20 tournament for women in India.
Before the launch of WPL, a few T20 exhibition matches (called the Women’s T20 Challenge) were played coinciding with IPL in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022, after which it expanded into a full-fledged tournament.
How many teams play in the WPL?
Like 2023, 2024 WPL will only have five teams. They are Mumbai Indians Women, Delhi Capitals Women, Royal Challengers Bangalore Women, UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants.
When does WPL 2024 begin?
WPL 2024 will get underway from February 23 (Friday) onwards. The first match will be played between last year’s finalists, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The final will be played on March 17 (Sunday) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
However, there will be no double-headers this time, with all the matches beginning at 7.30 PM IST.
Where will the matches be played?
While there were talks of playing the matches in a home-away format, as they do in the IPL, the BCCI decided against it. It was decided that Bengaluru and Delhi will host the entire tournament between them.
The first leg of the tournament (11 matches) will be hosted at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, while the remaining games (11), including the Eliminator and final, will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
How are the finalists decided?
The team that finishes at the top of the table progresses to the final. The winner of No. 2 vs No. 3 game (the Eliminator) progresses to the final, where they will take on the table-toppers.
Where can I watch WPL 2024 matches in India?
Sports18 will telecast all the matches, while you can stream all the matches on Jio Cinema.
Who finished where last season?
In the inaugural edition of the WPL, Delhi Capitals finished on top of the table and made it to the final, while Mumbai Indians (2) beat UP Warriorz (3) in the Eliminator at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai.
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants finished fourth and fifth on the points table, respectively.
Who are the captains and the head coaches?
Delhi Capitals – Captain: Meg Lanning, Head Coach: Jonathan Batty
Gujarat Giants – Captain: Beth Mooney, Head Coach: Michael Klinger
Mumbai Indians – Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur, Head Coach: Charlotte Edwards
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Captain: Smriti Mandhana, Head Coach: Luke Williams
UP Warriorz – Captain: Alyssa Healy, Head Coach: Jon Lewis
What about the other members of the support staff?
Delhi Capitals
Assistant coach: Hemlata Kala & Lisa Keightley
Fielding coach: Biju George
Gujarat Giants
Head coach: Michael Klinger
Batting coach: Tushar Arothe
Bowling coach: Nooshin Al Khadeer
Fielding coach: Gavan Twining
Mentor and Advisor: Mithali Raj
Mumbai Indians
Head coach: Charlotte Edwards
Batting coach: Devika Palshikar
Bowling coach & Mentor: Jhulan Goswami
Fielding coach: Lydia Greenway
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Head coach: Luke Williams
Assistant head coach: Malolan Rangarajan
Batting coach: RX Murali
Fielding coach: Vanitha VR
Mentor: Sania Mirza
UP Warriorz
Head coach: Jon Lewis
Assistant coach: Anju Jain
Bowling coach: Ashley Nofke
Mentor: Lisa Sthalekar
Fielding coach: Abhay Sharma
Will England players participate?
England Women are due to play five T20Is and three ODIs against New Zealand, starting March 19 (Tuesday). With the series set to begin two days after the WPL final, England captain Heather Knight has pulled out of the tournament, choosing to focus on the preparation. As a result, RCB picked South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk as a replacement.
Fast bowler Lauren Bell, too, has decided to do the same, and Sri Lanka batter Chamari Athapaththu has been named her replacement by the UP Warriorz.
What about the other England players?
Alice Capsey (Delhi Capitals), Issy Wong, Nat Sciver-Brunt (both Mumbai Indians), Kate Cross, Heather Knight (both Royal Challengers Bangalore), Sophie Ecclestone and Danni Wyatt (UP Warriorz) are all part of the WPL this time around and are due to be available for the entire tournament.
As a result, England have named two squads for the New Zealand tour. Those participating in the WPL will be available to England from the third T20I onwards.
It is believed that UP Warriorz and England head coach Jon Lewis may not be available for the playoffs stage if his side makes it through, as he is expected to link up with his national side in New Zealand ahead of the series.
Any other appointments or replacements?
Well, yes. The Giants appointed Michael Klinger as their head coach this season. He replaces Rachael Haynes at the helm. Sticking with the Giants, New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu comes in for the Lauren Cheatle following a procedure she underwent to remove skin cancer from her neck. Also, Beth Mooney returns to lead the side for this edition after missing the first season due to an injury.
Was there a WPL auction held?
Yes, the WPL auction was held in Mumbai on December 9, 2023.
Were there any players released before that?
Of course, no franchise released as many players as the Gujarat Giants, who released as many as 11 players. Unsurprisingly, they also had the highest salary cap, INR 5.95 crore.
Players released
Gujarat Giants: Annabel Sutherland*, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham*, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth*, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley*, Sushma Verma
Mumbai Indians: Dhara Gujjar, Heather Graham*, Neelam Bisht, Sonam Yadav
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Dané Van Niekerk*, Erin Burns*, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt*, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, Sahana Pawar
UP Warriorz: Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail*, Shivali Shinde, Simran Shaikh
Delhi Capitals: Aparna Mondal, Jasia Akhter, Tara Norris*
* Overseas players
Who were the most expensive buys in the WPL 2024 auction?
DC splashed INR 2 crore on Australia all-rounder Annabel Sutherland (Base price INR 40 lakh), while the Giants spent the same amount on uncapped Indian all-rounder Kashvee Gautam (Base price INR 10 lakh), making them the most expensive players in this edition of the tournament.
Was there any player from the associate world picked this time?
Tara Norris from the USA was picked by DC last season but was released ahead of the auction this time. However, the Giants secured the services of Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce in the WPL 2024 auction, picking her up for a base price of INR 10 lakh.
Why are players from associate nations crucial in WPL?
While the WPL rules state that a team can field only four overseas players in their XI, they can field five overseas players if they choose to include an associate player. For Gujarat, if Bryce plays, they can have four other overseas players in the XI.
Like the IPL, does WPL also have an impact player rule?
As per the IPL rules, an impact player can be introduced at any point during the game. If the XI already has four overseas players, then only an Indian player can replace anyone in the XI. However, if the team goes in with just three overseas players in the XI, an overseas impact player can come in.
WPL will not have this rule.
What is the prize money for the winners and runners-up?
The team winning WPL 2024 will get INR 6 crore, while the runners-up will get INR 3 crore. The Orange Cap (Most runs) and Purple Cap will get INR 5 lakh each, while the player of the final will be awarded a cash prize of INR 2.5 lakh.
What do the squads look like this time around?
Each side is allowed to have 15-18 players. All five teams made the best use of the auction this time, completing their quota of 18 players, which includes six overseas players.
Delhi Capitals
Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatia, Titas Sadhu, Annabel Sutherland*, Aparna Mondal*, Ashwani Kumari*
Gujarat Giants
Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Phoebe Litchfield*, Meghna Singh*, Trisha Poojitha*, Kashvee Gautam*, Priya Mishra*, Lea Tahuhu* (Replacement for Lauren Cheatle), Kathryn Bryce*, Mannat Kashyap, Veda Krishnamurthy*, Tarannum Pathan*
Mumbai Indians
Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong, Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail*, S Sajana*, Amandeep Kaur*, Fatima Jaffer*, Keerthana Balakrishnan*
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham*, Kate Cross*, Ekta Bisht*, Shubha Satheesh*, S Meghana*, Simran Bahadur*, Sophie Molineux*
UP Warriorz
Alyssa Healy, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Soppadhandi Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Danni Wyatt*, Vrinda Dinesh*, Poonam Khemnar*, Saima Thakor*, Gouher Sultana*
*Bought in WPL 2024 auction
Who are five players to watch out for in WPL 2024?
Keep an eye on Phoebe Litchfield, Danni Wyatt, Vrinda Dinesh, Kashvee Gautam and Shubha Satheesh
How much did the BCCI earn through WPL 2023?
In the annual report presented by BCCI treasurer Ashish Shelar on September 25, 2023, the BCCI is believed to have earned INR 377.59 crore, accounting for 6% of BCCI’s total income in Financial Year 2022-23. In comparison, 37% of BCCI’s income came from the IPL.
