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BCCI Extends Women's Premier League Retention Deadline By 3 Weeks

WPL retention deadline has been extended by BCCI (@wplt20/X.com)WPL retention deadline has been extended by BCCI (@wplt20/X.com)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the deadline for player retention of upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) season. Initially set for October 15, the deadline has now been pushed to November 7 as per Cricbuzz, allowing franchises additional time to finalise the list of players they wish to retain for the upcoming season.

The Women's Premier League (WPL) initiative turned out to be a huge success following two seasons. The third season is set to take place around February next year, though specific dates and venues have yet to be confirmed by the apex body.

WPL franchises gets grace period for retention

Meanwhile, ahead of player auction, all five teams will be required to submit a retention list featuring the core players the franchises wish to protect from the auction. Earlier, the deadline of the submission was fixed October 15. However, the BCCI contacted all the five franchises to inform them of the sudden changes. The retention deadline has now been pushed to November 7, as reported by Cricbuzz. 

Notably, each WPL team can have a squad of up to 18 players, with a maximum of six overseas players. As in the IPL, teams can release players each year. The BCCI will conduct a mini-auction based on the retentions, though the exact date for the auction has not yet been announced.

Also, the auction purse has been raised to INR 15 crores for this season, up from INR 13.5 crores last season. There are also reports that after the third season, a mega-auction might take place, potentially involving the addition of a sixth team .

Currently, there are five teams, i.e., Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and UP Warriorz. with Smriti Mandhana's RCB-W being the defending champions.

WPL's popularity boosts after RCB-W's victory

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women, led by Smriti Mandhana, claimed victory in the WPL 2024 season, thus elevating the tournament's popularity. The matches, held in Bengaluru and Delhi, drew large crowds and significantly boosted the league's visibility. Not only that, a valuation report from D&P Advisory revealed the financial success of the WPL, showing an 8% increase in value from 2023, with the league now valued at Rs.1,350 crore.