The popularity of women’s IPL cricket continues to grow. It is possible to make interesting bets here, so it is worth understanding what is going on. It will be more comprehensible to follow the Women’s IPL Cricket score.
Overview
The Women’s Premier League (WPL), also known as the Tata WPL after the name of its sponsor, is a women’s franchise cricket league in the Twenty20 format. It is played in India. The league is administered and organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The inaugural season took place in March 2023 and was won by Mumbai Indians. Matches were played in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, and five franchises participated. The second season, held from February to March 2024, ended with Royal Challengers Bengaluru triumphing. This time, the matches were played in Bangalore and Delhi.
The current season of the tournament began on February 14, 2025. For the first time in the history of the World Players League, a home-and-away system has been introduced. There will be matches held in four cities — Vadodara, Bangalore, Lucknow, and Mumbai. The last meeting is scheduled for March 15, 2025.
History
The predecessor of the Women’s Premier League was the Women’s T20 Challenge, which debuted in 2018 in a single-match format. Subsequently, it was transformed into a three-team mini-tournament, which was held in the years 2019, 2020, and 2022.
In February 2022, the BCCI announced plans for a full-fledged women’s league, when then president Sourav Ganguly revealed plans to create an Indian Premier League (IPL) analog for women. It was announced in October that the tournament would take place in March 2023.
The WPL’s inaugural title sponsorship rights until 2027 were auctioned on January 28, 2023. The winner was the Tata Group Corporation.
The format of the tournament is similar to that of the IPL, with five teams competing in a double round-robin format, with the top three teams progressing to a play-off. The organizers are contemplating the possibility of augmenting the number of teams and matches in the future.
The winners of the first season were the Mumbai Indians, who defeated the Delhi Capitals in the final. The second season was won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who beat the same team in the final to win. The league’s mascot, Shakti, a tigress in a light blue uniform, is recognized as the symbol of the league.
Teams
The teams are easy to understand, and it’s easy to choose your favorite one.
List of Teams
There will be five teams playing in the Women’s Premier League in 2025:
- Delhi Capitals (New Delhi, Arjun Jaitley Stadium);
- Gujarat Giants (Vadodara, Kotambi Stadium);
- Mumbai Indians (Mumbai, Wankhede Stadium);
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Bangalore, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium);
- UP Warriorz (Lucknow, BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium).
Venues
In the first season, matches were played at two stadiums in Mumbai, while in the second season, matches were played in Bangalore and Delhi. In 2025, the tournament returned to a home-and-away format for the first time, with matches being played in four arenas: Vadodara, Bangalore, Lucknow and Mumbai.
Match Schedule
The 2025 season commenced on February 14th and concluded on March 15th. This is the first tournament to utilize the new home-and-away fixture system.
Player Auction
The first franchise player auction was held on February 13 in Mumbai. The event was attended by approximately 1,500 registered players. With a budget of approximately US$1.4 million, we could acquire between 15 and 18 players. Among them, we could acquire between 15 and 18 players. Among them were six foreign girls involved.
The budgets of the teams are expected to increase in the future. A sum of $6.8 million was expended during the initial auction.
Most Expensive Players
The most expensive player in WPL history was Smriti Mandhana, who was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for $390,000. She is recognized as the captain of the team.
Statistics
The tournament has already produced impressive statistics.
Batting:
- Highest run scorer — Alice Perry (RCB) — 895 runs.
- Highest single match score — Sophie Divine (RCB) — 99 runs (vs. Gujarat Giants, 18 March 2023).
- Highest partnership — Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning (DC) — 162 runs (against RCB, 5 March 2023).
Bowling:
- Best bowler — Sophie Ecclestone (UPW) — 33 wickets.
- Best bowling figures — Alice Perry (RCB) — 6/15 (vs MI, 12 March 2024).
Fielding:
- Goalkeeper Rich Ghosh (RCB) has the most dismissals — 29.
- Amelia Kerr (MI) and Jemima Rodriguez (DC) have the most interceptions with 13.
Team records:
- Delhi Capitals’ highest team score is 223/2 (vs RCB, 5 March 2023).
- Gujarat Giants’ lowest team score is 64 (vs MI, 4 March 2023).
The Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians were the best performers during the first two seasons, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the inaugural title in 2024.
The Women’s Premier League is evolving. The league has caught the attention of viewers and investors, and the number of teams is expected to increase and the tournament to become more competitive.
