In a groundbreaking venture for women's cricket, WPL 2023, short for the Women's Premier League, showcased an extraordinary gathering of top-tier talent from across the globe in a captivating T20 competition. The inauguaral edition of the tournament was held from March 4 to March 26. The tournament was long being looked forward to and when it finally transformed into reality, it was welcomed with both arms by the cricketing world.
The inaugural season etched its place in history as the Mumbai Indians (MI) emerged as champions, seizing the coveted title after a series of exhilarating matches. The pinnacle moment arrived on March 26 in a nail-biting final, where the Mumbai Indians triumphed over the Delhi Capitals, securing their victory by seven wickets with three balls to spare. This triumph underscored the Mumbai Indians' unwavering performance throughout the tournament.
Hayley Matthews of the Mumbai Indians earned the prestigious title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) for her exceptional all-round contributions. Another noteworthy highlight featured Sophie Devine, who clinched the Tata Safari Car for the Harrier Super Striker Award, a recognition of her outstanding batting prowess.
The prelude to the tournament, marked by an electrifying auction, rivaled the on-field matches in excitement. Smriti Mandhana emerged as the highest earner, securing a remarkable INR 3.4 crore deal with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The auction also witnessed significant signings, including Ashleigh Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Beth Mooney, standing out as some of the most notable overseas acquisitions.
This year the BCCI has announced that the WPL Auction will take place in Mumbai on December 9 ahead of the 2024 season. The teams have already shared the list of players retained and released.
Gujarat Giants (GG)
Retained Players: Ashleigh Gardner*, Beth Mooney*, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt*, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer
Released Players: Annabel Sutherland*, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham*, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth*, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley*, Sushma Verma
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Retained Players: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr*, Chloe Tryon*, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews*, Humairaa Kaazi, Isabelle Wong*, Jintimani Kalita, Natalie Sciver*, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia
Released Players: Dhara Gujjar, Heather Graham*, Neelam Bisht, Sonam Yadav
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Retained Players: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry*, Heather Knight*, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine*
Released Players: Dané Van Niekerk*, Erin Burns*, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt*, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, Sahana Pawar
UP Warriorz (UPW)
Retained Players: Alyssa Healy*, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris*, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell*, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S. Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone*, Tahlia Mcgrath*
Released Players: Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail*, Shivali Shinde, Simran Shaikh