The much-anticipated second edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is set to move one step closer to reality as franchise heads gear up for the player auction in Mumbai on December 9. The auction promises to be an exciting affair as the five franchises aim to strengthen their squads from the pool of released players. With an additional purse of INR 1.5 crore (approximately US $180,228) available to each team, the stage is set for intense bidding wars.
As per an ESPNcricinfo report, each of the five WPL franchises will have an additional purse of INR 1.5 crore in addition to their existing balance from the previous auction and retention-release phase. This financial boost will undoubtedly add more competitiveness to the bidding process.
The player auction will see a total of 30 slots being filled, with nine of them reserved for overseas players. Ahead of the auction, the franchises retained 60 players while releasing 29 cricketers back into the auction pool. The five franchises participating in the WPL are defending champions Mumbai Indians, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In the inaugural edition of the WPL last summer, each franchise had a purse of INR 12 crores. However, only two teams, Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz, fully exhausted their budgets. The Giants had a balance amount of INR 5 lakhs, the Capitals had INR 35 lakhs, and the RCB franchise had 10 lakhs left in their purses.
The Gujarat Giants, who finished at the bottom in the previous season, entered the player auction with a significant purse this time. They let go of almost half of their playing squad during the retention-release phase and now have INR 5.95 crores at their disposal. UP Warriorz, needing to fill five vacant slots, including one overseas pick, have INR 4 crores in their purse. The RCB franchise, with INR 3.35 crores, is looking to fill seven player slots, including three overseas vacancies. The Delhi Capitals, last season’s runners-up, will have a purse of INR 2.25 crores to bid for three remaining slots, including one overseas player. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians, who retained most of their winning contingent, have the smallest purse at 2.1 crores and need to fill one overseas slot and four Indian slots.
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The upcoming player auction is set for December, and the WPL is expected to be held during the same March window in 2024. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to communicate the specific dates and venues to the five franchises. There is also speculation that the WPL could expand to a home-and-away format in the following season, potentially providing an even more exciting and competitive platform for women’s cricket in India.
