The Tata Group has been announced as the title sponsor of the inaugural Women's Premier League, set to begin in Mumbai on March 4. BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced the news, noting that the Tata Group's support will help to take women's cricket to the next level.
The financial details of the five-year deal have not been disclosed. However, the BCCI has secured media rights worth Rs 951 crore, while the five teams were sold at Rs 4700 crore. Among the players, Indian opener Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive at Rs 3.40 crore.
The tournament will be held at two venues in Mumbai – the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium.
Jay Shah has his say on the WPL
"The WPL is going to revolutionise the way we look at women's cricket. The huge success of the WPL auction has not only given an opportunity to many prospective talent to showcase their skills on the big stage but also to young budding cricketers to take centerstage on a global level,” Shah told ANI after the auctions.
“The reception from fans around the world has been overwhelmingly positive and this will only continue to grow as the league matures.
“The WPL will set a template for other sports to follow suit. We saw what happened with the men's IPL and how other sporting leagues cropped up after 2008. The WPL will ensure the growth of multi-genre sport among women," the BCCI secretary added.
Shah said that WPL was created not only as a platform for women in India and across the world to showcase and hone their cricket, but also to inspire the next generation of women to make professional sports a career option.
"Without a ball being bowled, the WPL is the largest sporting league. With women's cricket well on its way to cement itself in mainstream sports, the WPL will only fortify the ecosystem around women's cricket. The initial response to the WPL has definitely showcased the potential the league has to become the biggest women's domestic sporting tournament," added Shah.
The inaugural edition of WPL will be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 across two Mumbai venues and the player auction for the same will be held on February 13.
