WPL 2023: Tata Group bags title sponsorship of Women’s Premier League

TATA Group has been given the title sponsorship rights for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) seasons 2023-2027 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

According to the BCCI, the TATA Group, which also owns the Indian Premier League (IPL), will promote its two flagship brands, TATA Capital and TATA Motors, between 2023 and 2027.

“We are really happy and excited to have TATA Group as the title sponsor for the WPL. We feel this is one of the most significant developments which will further boost the popularity of women’s cricket.”

The Indian women’s team has worked tirelessly to make their country proud, and the WPL is a step in the right direction for women’s cricket in India. The tournament “marks a new chapter in the history of women’s cricket in India, and I am confident that it will set a new benchmark in the times to come, encouraging both Indian and international cricketers to take up and pursue the sport,” said Roger Binny, President of the BCCI, in an official statement on Wednesday.

The inaugural season of the WPL is seen as the start of a new era in Indian women’s cricket. Some of the brightest Indian stars such as captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma — captain of India’s U19 Women’s T20 World Cup-winning team, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh playing in same teams as global cricketing stars such as Alyssa Healy, Deandra Dottin, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Ecclestone and Sophie Devine amongst others.

“Women’s cricket is achieving new heights with every passing day and having TATA Group on board as the Title Sponsor for the Women’s Premier League is a testament of the growing stature of women’s cricket in India. The WPL will now be called TATA Women’s Premier League. The BCCI values and appreciates women’s cricket and the WPL is one more initiative to further nurture the game,” said Jay Shah, Secretary, BCCI.

The inaugural season of the WPL will feature 22 matches and five teams: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and UP Warriorz. The famous competition will be held in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 at the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium.

While Adani Group won the Gujarat Giants franchise with the highest price of INR 1289 crores, Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd won the Mumbai Indians franchise with a bid of INR 912.99 crores.

The remaining three franchises, situated in Bangalore, Delhi, and Lucknow, were obtained by Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd, JSW GMR Cricket Pvt. Ltd, and Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd, with winning bids of INR 901 crores, INR 810 crores, and INR 757 crores, respectively.

Viacom18 will broadcast the WPL for the next five seasons after winning the rights with a bid of INR 951 crores, which amounts to INR 7.09 crores each match.

“After extending their support to the IPL, we are happy to have TATA Group on board for the Women’s Premier League. We look forward to a fruitful partnership and the BCCI is sure the WPL brand will grow manifold with this move. I am sure this will be a long and enriching affiliation for both stakeholders.”

“The beginning of the WPL is one more step in BCCI’s continuous endeavour to support and promote women’s cricket in India. This is the inaugural edition of the tournament, which promises to inspire and act as motivation for the budding women cricketers across the globe,” said Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman, IPL.

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