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The Girls’s Premier League (WPL) should still be in its early days, however inside simply two years of its inception in 2023, it has managed to carve a major area of interest for itself. This success has inspired the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) to broaden the event past the standard metropolises. This season’s largest spotlight is undoubtedly its geographical enlargement. Initially confined to Mumbai and later to Bengaluru and New Delhi in its second version, the WPL has now added Vadodara and Lucknow to its roster. This marks a step in the direction of adopting a full-fledged home-and-away format.
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The enlargement is a considerable enhance for the event, permitting the 5 groups and stakeholders to broaden their attain and faucet into unexplored territories. Whereas cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru have lengthy had a longtime fan base for ladies’s cricket, the spectacular turnout at Vadodara’s newly constructed Kotambi Stadium throughout India girls’s ODIs in opposition to West Indies final December satisfied the BCCI to decide on it as a venue. Lucknow, the house base for the UP Warriorz, has additionally beforehand hosted girls’s worldwide matches.
Arun Dhumal, chairman of the IPL Governing Council, defined that the choice to broaden was aimed toward strengthening fan engagement within the franchises’ respective house markets.
“Of the five franchises, three — Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru — had already hosted matches at home in previous editions. So, we wanted to create opportunities for the other two franchises — UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants — to engage with their home audiences. That’s why Vadodara and Lucknow were selected,” Dhumal informed Sportstar.
“Given the enormous fan engagement in Mumbai and Bengaluru, we decided to retain those venues as well. The tournament is still in its early stages, and the support it has garnered in these traditional cricket hubs is a tremendous boost for both the league and women’s cricket,” he added.
Curtain-raiser: The brand new Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara will host the WPL opener this 12 months.
| Picture Credit score:
VIJAY SONEJI
Curtain-raiser: The brand new Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara will host the WPL opener this 12 months.
| Picture Credit score:
VIJAY SONEJI
Whereas Dhumal is assured about attracting sturdy turnouts on the two new venues, a post-tournament overview will assess viewers engagement. Based mostly on this evaluation, the feasibility of adopting a correct home-and-away format from subsequent season will probably be thought of.
“Logistics, available windows, and the best possible framework, all play a role in determining the next steps. While the aim is to expand the tournament nationwide and build a sustainable fan base, these factors need to be balanced,” Dhumal mentioned.
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Within the league’s first two editions, UP Warriorz (owned by Capri World) and Gujarat Giants (owned by Adani Sportsline) didn’t profit from home-ground help. Nevertheless, each franchises are keen to construct devoted native fan bases this time.
“The response to the WPL over the last two seasons has been phenomenal, and the league’s expansion to new regions is truly heartening,” mentioned Sanjay Adesara, Chief Enterprise Officer of Adani Sportsline.
The turnout at Kotambi Stadium throughout December’s ODIs was an encouraging signal, with practically 10,000 spectators attending every match. The Gujarat Giants is eager to capitalise on this momentum.
“With the Indian women’s team having played international matches at the Kotambi Stadium, this is another significant step forward for women’s cricket in India. We are thrilled by this opportunity,” Adesara mentioned.
UP Warriorz proprietor Jinisha Sharma echoed this sentiment, calling the enlargement an important step for the league and her franchise. “As a newer name in the sporting industry, it’s crucial for us to grow the WPL and our franchise by taking this experience to multiple cities,” she mentioned.
“Mumbai and Bengaluru have been privileged with packed crowds over the years, and rightly so. As a franchise preparing to play at our home ground for the first time, we’re incredibly excited,” Sharma added.
To organize for its house debut, UP Warriorz carried out groundwork in Lucknow and different cities in Uttar Pradesh final 12 months. “We learned a lot from interacting with students, faculty, media, and others to understand what would resonate with local fans,” Sharma defined.
Dharamshala, 18/05/2023. IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal throughout a Interview with the Sportstar in Dharamshala on Thursday, Might 18, 2023. Picture: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
| Picture Credit score:
R. V. MOORTHY
Dharamshala, 18/05/2023. IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal throughout a Interview with the Sportstar in Dharamshala on Thursday, Might 18, 2023. Picture: R. V. Moorthy / The Hindu
| Picture Credit score:
R. V. MOORTHY
“This month, we’re organising a 12-city tournament in UP, visiting multiple schools and hosting cricket camps. We’ll identify talented girls from these camps, bring them to our pre-season training, and help them gain exposure,” she added.
Whereas these grassroots initiatives are essential for a budding league, adapting to the brand new four-city caravan mannequin presents its personal challenges. Many groups had chosen gamers on the public sale assuming matches would stay confined to Mumbai and Bengaluru.
“The auctions were completed in December before the league’s expansion to four cities was finalised. So, getting the right combination will be critical,” mentioned a franchise insider.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending champion, will as soon as once more play at house. Smriti Mandhana and her crew face the problem of assembly excessive expectations after retaining their core squad and making strategic additions in the course of the mini-auction.
The crew acquired leg-spinner Prema Rawat, Kerala pacer Joshitha VJ, and seasoned campaigner Renuka Singh Thakur to bolster its tempo assault. The inclusion of Jagravi Pawar and Raghvi Bist provides additional depth.
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In the meantime, Gujarat Giants will depend on its marquee abroad participant Deandra Dottin, the most costly worldwide signing, and the inspiring Simran Shaikh, a batter from Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum. Dottin’s expertise and all-round talents will probably be essential for Gujarat Giants, which is trying to flip its fortunes round after two underwhelming seasons.
Delhi Capitals will hope for standout performances from Nandini Kashyap and the promising Niki Prasad, whereas UP Warriorz and Mumbai Indians goal to ship high quality cricket at their respective house grounds.
With the event transferring past main cities and the fan base steadily rising, the WPL’s enlargement alerts a brand new chapter for ladies’s cricket in India.
Gamers to be careful for
Royal Challengers Bangalore – Smriti Mandhana, Joshitha VJ
MumbaI Indians – Harmanpreet Kaur, G. Kamalini
Gujarat Giants – Deandra Dottin, Simran Shaikh
Delhi Capitals – Meg Lanning, Nandini Kashyap
UP Warriorz – Chamari Athapaththu, Saima Thakor
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