BCCI is planning to include five international players in the Women’s IPL.

BCCI is planning to include five international players in the Women’s IPL.

• The Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) will begin next month, with a wage cap of INR 12 crore, as decided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). At the end of the first five-year cycle, the total amount available will have increased from its initial level by INR 1.5 crore per year to INR 18 crore. When it comes to the five-team league, there is no room for superstar athletes.

• The BCCI has informed potential participants that the player purse will increase from INR 12 crore in 2023 to INR 13.5 crore in 2024, INR 15 crore in 2025, INR 16.5 crore in 2026, and INR 18 crore in 2027. As a general rule, there will be five teams in the first three years and six teams in the last two years of the initial five-year cycle.
• The BCCI also announced a significant decision, allowing for as many as five non-Indian players to be included in the starting XI, with at least one Associate country player permitted. Previously, the Indian Premier League (IPL) authorized only four international players on each team. A possible new club insider has revealed that an Associate player will be required for the fifth roster spot. A person familiar with the situation has remarked, “The teams will have the option of fielding five international players as long as the fifth player is from an Associate nation.”

• The dates for the maiden edition have not been confirmed but they are expected to be from March 4 to 26. In all likelihood, the league will be played in Mumbai with the Brabourne Stadium in South Mumbai and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai being potential venues for the 22 games in the first season. The Wankhede is likely to be kept ready for the IPL, which is likely to start on March 31 or April 1.

• The BCCI recently sold the media rights, for INR 950 crore to Viacom 18, and it is in the process of identifying the five franchises that will be taking part in the first three years. The franchises will be revealed on January 25 after a closed bidding process. The BCCI has apparently sold 29 ITTs but the exact number of parties interested could be around 15.

• The prize money for the league will be INR 10 crore for the players and then for the teams, it will be INR 6 crore for the winning side and INR 3 crore for the runners-up. The third placed team will earn INR 1 crore. The BCCI said, “100 percent of player prize money is to be distributed amongst the players only.”