Women's IPL: In a major development in Indian Women's cricket, the base price of the Women's IPL teams has been set at INR 400 Crores each, says sources. The Women's IPL will get kicked off in 2023 and BCCI expects that the franchise will be sold for something between INR 1000 Crores to 1500 Crores. If it goes as expected then BCCI can raise nearly INR 5000 to 7500 crores.
The General Body of BCCI had earlier approved in its 91st Annual General Meeting that the Women's IPL will be held in 2023. The Indian board will also float a tender for the five franchises. Notably, for the e-auction of the teams, a tender document will be floated and all existing IPL franchises (Men's IPL franchises) will be able to take part in the e-auction. The dates of the same have not been confirmed yet.
The Women's IPL, which will be a five-team affair in 2023 will witness a total of 20 league matches. The table toppers will directly qualify for the finals, while the next two ranked teams will play in an eliminator. There can be no more than five overseas players in the playing XI of the Women's IPL. Also, each team in the tournament can comprise a maximum of 18 players.
For a few years, Indian and International women cricketers have been demanding that a Women's IPL should be held to give a chance and exposure to the young Indian talent pool in the country. India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur had earlier stated that a domestic tournament can help the team perform better. Recently the BCCI had also decided to provide equal match fees to the male and female cricketers of the Indian team. Several cricketers praised the step. Appreciating the move, Harmanpreet Kaur had said earlier, "First of all, I welcome this decision. We always talk about equality and I really am happy that for the first time in India we will get equal pay as men are getting. I am happy this is happening now. I am sure now a lot of girls will now take up cricket as a professional career."
