Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants are set to clash in a blockbuster opening match of the WPL 2023 on March 4 at the prestigious DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai
Women's Premier League (Pic Courtesy: wplt20.com)
Sitting glued on the couch, donning your favourite team’s jersey, chanting names of players and breaking into a roar when your favourite team grabs a wicket. Much like the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Women’s Premier League (WPL) promises to be an exciting affair with a total of 87 players who will look forward to going in with a renewed spirit when they take on their global counterparts to stake their claim on the elusive WPL 2023 trophy. Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants are set to clash in a blockbuster opening match of the WPL on March 4 at the prestigious DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
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The tournament will not only be about the creme-de-la-creme of world cricket with huge pay packets and reputations to play for but also for a fresh crop of cricketers with some noteworthy talent tucked within. The likes of Kaur, Rodrigues, and Verma will look to live up to their expectations, while adapting to pressure and arclights of a high-octane tournament like this. A total of 87 players will be in fray, with players as young as a little over 15 looking to ply their trade alongside the world’s best.
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The cash-rich league has generated an irresistible buzz among cricket fans, with the five franchises being sold for a grand total of INR 4.7 crore. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) broke the bank for Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who became the most expensive player in the history of WPL during the 2023 auction earlier last month. The franchise shelled out a mammoth INR 3.4 crore for Mandhana, who had a base reserve price of INR 50 lakh. With an added element of leadership in her role, one could witness the best out of the southpaw in this edition.
Mumbai Indians became the second costliest franchise in the league at INR 912.99 crore, who will expect to emulate the road of glory embarked upon by their men’s counterparts. The Indian talismanic captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been offered the role of a captain leading a powerhouse squad comprising England's Nat Sciver-Brunt and pacer Issy Wong, New Zealand's Amelia Kerr, South Africa's T20 World Cup finalist Chloe Tryon, West Indies' captain Hayley Matthews and Australia's Heather Graham.
"I think this is a great platform for all Indian players because we have been missing this tournament for a long time. Definitely for Australia and England the WBBL and Hundred have worked very well and after those tournaments they've got so much young talent,” Kaur was recently quoted as saying during a virtual media interaction, according to PTI.
“After the WPL we are also going to get some good talent and I'm sure the difference you're talking about (between India and Australia sides) we'd love to cut down. When you see good talent coming up, you're definitely going to make a good team after the WPL.”
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Gujarat Giants, led by star Australian batter Beth Mooney, consists of known faces in the form of Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, and the experienced Sushma Verma. Besides, they boast of a productive bank of overseas players such as recent T20 World Cup winners from Australia, Ashleigh Gardner and Georgia Wareham, West Indies' Deandra Dottin and England's Sophia Dunkley, who will be instrumental in the team’s success.
"I'm just happy that it has come to a point where women's cricket now is a sustainable sport on its own for young girls in India. Not just in India, even club cricketers abroad in two-three years' time, maybe even they would probably want to be a part of a set-up like this," said former Indian captain Mithali Raj, who is also an indomitable figure in the camp designated as the team's mentor and advisor.
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