Women’s Premier League franchises snapped up for $806m

Women’s cricket has exploded overnight, with the new Women’s Premier League franchises purchased for a staggering $806m.

Australia’s women are set for a massive pay day as the franchises for the inaugural Women’s Premier League are revealed.

The initial five franchises were snapped up in a rabid bidding war in India on Wednesday, collectively purchased for a staggering AU$806 million.

It follows the WPL’s broadcasting rights being sold to Viacom for AU$167m over five years.

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“Today is a historic day in cricket,” wrote BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah on Twitter.

“This marks the beginning of a revolution in women’s cricket and paves the way for a transformative journey ahead,” he said.

The first WPL auction will be held in early February ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa.

While the Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore sides were purchased by their respective men’s equivalent owners, the Ahmedabad side was purchased by Adani Sportsline, owned by Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, for AU$223m.

It sure is HISTORIC. The women’s game breaking records already & they haven’t even played a game yet. This is so exciting. Congratulations to @BCCI & all involved. Teams announced: Adani (Ahmedabad) Indiawin (Mumbai), RCB (Bangalore), JSW (Delhi), Capri Global (Lucknow) #WPLhttps://t.co/q9Q4LRw68c

— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) January 25, 2023

Adani is known in Australia for his controversial Carmichael mine in central Queensland, but it isn’t his first foray into cricket, with the tycoon purchasing the Gulf Giants in this year’s inaugural ILT20 competition in the UAE.

Former Test bowler Holly Ferling said it was “game changing.”

Australian fast bowler Megan Schutt said the national playing group were “nervous” about what was to come, with only seven overseas slots available in each squad and five overseas players allowed in each playing XI.

That leaves 30 slots for full member internationals, and Schutt said she expected most, if not all, of Australia’s top players to have put their hand up.

“We’ve all talked about whether we’ve put our names in there or not…we’re all a bit nervous to be honest,” Schutt said.

“No one wants to be that kid in high school where your name doesn’t get called out and no one picks you, so it’s a bit nerve wracking.”

Alana King will be one of the hottest properties at the upcoming WPL auction. (Sportspicz - BCCI)

All rounder Grace Harris confirmed on Twitter that she had registered, but had “no expectations” of being taken in the auction.

Aussies dominated the ICC T20I Team of the Year, with Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, and Beth Mooney all being selected.

McGrath was named the best T20I player in the world, only a year into her T20I career.

Averaging 62 with the bat and taking 13 wickets last year, McGrath is expected to be one of the hottest properties when the auction kicks off.

The timing of the announcement and auction for Australia’s players comes at an ironic time as they host Pakistan, as cricket writer Rick Eyre pointed out on Twitter.

“Half the players on the field will be hopeful of big paydays at the coming WPL auction,” he said.

“The other half will be shut off from that hope because of their nationality.”

Due to ongoing tensions between Pakistan and India, Pakistani players have been frozen out of the Indian Premier League since the inception of the men’s tournament in 2008.

Guardian sportswriter Jonathan Liew has said it has been a decision “driven largely by ideology, nationalism and geopolitics.”

“This, more than any amount of ICC politicking or revenue-grabbing, is the best way of understanding India’s influence over world cricket,” he said.

Originally published as Women’s Premier League franchises snapped up for $806m