No Chennai and Kolkata teams in Women's Premier League upsets CSK and KKR fans
The sale of five franchises in the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) brought in a profit of Rs 4669.99 crore for the BCCI on Wednesday, with Adani Sportsline purchasing the most costly franchise for Rs 1289 crore.
While owners of IPL teams Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals successfully bid amounts of Rs 912.99 crore, Rs 901 crore, and Rs 810 crore, respectively, to join the WPL, the Ahmedabad franchise went to Adani.
For Rs 757 crore, Capri Global Holdings acquired the franchise in Lucknow.
Earlier this month, the BCCI sold the media rights to Viacom18 for Rs 951 crore, getting a Rs 7.09 crore per match value for five years.
"Today is a historic day in cricket as the bidding for teams of inaugural #WPL broke the records of the inaugural Men's IPL in 2008! Congratulations to the winners as we garnered Rs.4669.99 Cr in total bid," said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a tweet.
"This marks the beginning of a revolution in women's cricket and paves the way for a transformative journey ahead not only for our women cricketers but for the entire sports fraternity. The #WPL would bring necessary reforms in women's cricket and would ensure an all-encompassing ecosystem that benefits each and every stakeholder," he added.
"The @BCCI has named the league - Women's Premier League (WPL). Let the journey begin...." Jay Shah noted.
Mumbai Indians welcomed the women's team, which will be the fourth MI franchise after Mumbai Indians, MI Cape Town, and MI Emirates. Speaking after becoming a proud owner of a Women's Premier League team, Nita Ambani said, "With great joy and pride, I welcome our women’s cricket team to the MI #OneFamily! This is a historic moment for Indian cricket, and we are delighted to be a part of it. India’s women cricketers have always made the nation proud in the global sporting arena – be it the World Cup, Asian Cup or the recent Commonwealth Games!"
"This new Women’s League will once again shine a global spotlight on the talent, power, and potential of our girls. I’m sure our Women’s MI team will take the Mumbai Indians brand of fearless and entertaining cricket to a new level altogether. My heartiest congratulations to BCCI on this landmark announcement! It will pave the way for more and more young women to take up professional sport. At Reliance, we remain committed to the glorious rise of women not just in cricket, but sport in general," she added.
Akash Ambai said, "I am happy to extend a warm welcome to our women's cricket team, the fourth franchise to join the Mumbai Indians family. The launch of the Women's Premier League is a historic moment and I'm proud that India is at the forefront of this change. I eagerly look forward to the upcoming season and am confident that the WPL will have a lasting impact on the empowerment of women in sports. As we bring the MI experience and best practices into the women’s game, we look forward to seeing our women's team excel and inspire future generations of female athletes."
Meanwhile, fans of men's Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were irked that there are no Chennai or Kolkata franchises in the Women's Premier League.
"All great for women's cricket but weird to not see teams from Chennai and Kolkata. Two cities which is cricket mad, and provide packed stadiums," noted one IPL fan on Twitter.
Another added, "Ahmedabad and Lucknow, why would you do that BCCI? If a league has to gain popularity, thoda sa ideology se hatt ke kaam karo please, should have been Kolkata and Chennai regardless of the bidder."
A third fan noted, "It would have been nice if Chennai and Kolkata had teams in the Women's IPL. Eden Gardens deserved it, so as the safest city for women in India Chennai. Disappointment for North-east again."
Here's a look at some of the reactions on Twitter:
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