Kochi, Oct 29 — The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will hold discussions on expanding the Women’s Premier League (WPL) beyond five teams from next year, said secretary Devajit Saikia.
Saikia's comments came a day after the WPL 2027 auction was held in Kochi, where around 150 players went under the hammer – out of which 25 cricketers found places in five teams. The WPL was launched in 2023 with five teams and the 2027 edition will be played from January 14 to February 7.
“There are about 150 players who are in the fray here and hardly 27 we had to take but still so many players were left out. So we can very easily see that five number of teams are really less compared to the number of supply chain of girls cricketers.
“From next year, definitely we will have to do some brainstorming sessions to increase the number of teams as well as in other areas where we can improve. Not only the players but so many other areas we are having involvement in, right from the coaches, selectors, etc, and various stakeholders are involved here,” Saikia said in a video posted on the WPL’s social media handles on Thursday.
With just five franchises, the WPL can absorb only a small fraction of India’s growing domestic talent pool. Bringing in one or two more teams along with an increase in player budget will open up more opportunities for players to be a part of the league.
“So the overall ecosystem has a positive impact on WPL. This is a wonderful beginning, and this is a wonderful journey going on and I hope WPL will grow from leaps and bounds in the coming years,” added Saikia.
He also welcomed the fact that a 15-year-old uncapped all-rounder Uma Kashvi was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 10 lakh. “I am very happy that a young girl of 15 years got an opportunity to play in the WPL. That is a success. We want to bring maximum women cricketers to play and be a part of this success story in Indian women’s cricket.”
Saikia further credited the WPL with playing a major role in India’s rise in women’s cricket, pointing to the national team’s status as ODI World Cup winners when they won the trophy last year.
“We are the present champions in the world and that shows the expansion this WPL has given all across the country so far as women’s cricket is concerned. You see WPL is one of the big leagues in the world of franchise cricket after the IPL.
“If you look at the success for the last four years, there is a long way we have traversed, and ultimately we are now dominating in women’s cricket and WPL has really contributed for the success of Indian women’s cricket,” concluded Saikia.