By Rs 4699.99 billion, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has increased its wealth. Top corporate houses have expressed interest in purchasing the five clubs up for grabs ever since the board announced its plan to start a T20 league for women that would resemble the Indian Premier League. When the bids were placed on Wednesday in Mumbai, the BCCI was enjoying yet another large payday.
There will be five teams in the Women’s Premier League (WPLfirst )’s season, and they will be based in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and Lucknow. The player auction is scheduled for February, while the competition is scheduled for March.
The WPL has already brought in Rs 5,650.99 crore for the BCCI even before a ball has been played, and its broadcast right, which was purchased by Viacom for Rs 951, crore, makes it the second-highest T20 league, just behind the IPL. These numbers surpass those of the Big Bash League, The Hundred, or any other domestic T20 league.
The Adani Group made a massive offer of Rs. 1,289 crore for the Ahmedabad franchise. The Adani Sportsline Private Limited has officially entered the Indian cricket ecosystem after losing out on owning an IPL franchise when two additional clubs were launched in 2022.
The IPL franchises that were eager to extend their roots into the women’s game made the following three highest bids. While Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat Titans, and Chennai Super Kings chose not to participate in the bidding, the other teams expressed interest and made an offer. Delhi Capitals (Rs 810 cr), Mumbai Indians (Rs 912 cr), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (Rs 901 cr) placed first among them and won a franchise. The same home base as their men’s squad has been chosen by all three. Capri Global, which acquired the Lucknow franchise for Rs 757 crore, received the fifth franchise. Kolkata made a bid of Rs. 666 crore, which was much below the going rate.
It is believed that the Rajasthan Royals placed the lowest proposal on the table, offering Rs 180 crore, or $1,109 crore less than Adani’s winning offer.
Even many within the BCCI were taken aback by the total amount of Rs 4,699.99 crore. Mumbai Indians was in reality the most expensive franchise when the IPL franchises were first sold in 2007, costing Rs 446 crore. Not even half of the top three WPL franchises are represented by it.
Even though the WPL has yet to begin, the enormous bids placed on the table show how corporate companies are grabbing hold of every opportunity to be linked with T20 tournaments. When the BCCI presented the idea of the IPL to India’s top corporation in 2008, they were hesitant to invest in the T20 format. And fifteen years later, the surroundings are very different. In many aspects, the Indian market for women’s sports resembles that of T20 cricket in 2008. However, this time there was fierce competition because about 30 people expressed interest in buying the franchises.
N Santhosh, a market expert who has been researching the IPL brand for years, told The Indian Express that these numbers are “very shocking.” “If you look at it, each club receives an average of 1,000 crores, which is a lot. Brand IPL has undoubtedly influenced the WPL. Perhaps it is by itself. However, it would be intriguing to watch how much profit they generate, he added.
According to the contract, the BCCI and the franchises will split revenue 20:80 for the first five years. The five franchises will receive Rs 25–30 crore per season as a result of the Rs 951 broadcast agreement, but they will still be required to pay the franchisee fee to the BCCI. All of the IPL franchises initially lost money, but before long, teams like the Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders broke even sooner than anticipated.
