Women's cricket to 'take off' with new T20 league in India

Women's cricket is set to be elevated to a new level with teams auctioned off in India for the inaugural women's IPL tournament already drawing big interest and big revenue.

The five-team women's tournament, which will be known as the Women's Premier League, is set to launch in March after the women's T20 World Cup in South Africa next month with the BCCI announcing this morning which bids had won spots in it.

The owners of men's IPL teams Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore were among those named with the women's franchises - which will be based in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Lucknow - sold for a record sum of 46.7 billion rupees (NZ$884 million). It's understood 16 entities took part in the bidding process.

It comes after the BCCI also recently earned NZ$180 million for the media rights to the WPL in a five-year deal with Viacom 18; 80% of that money will be distributed to the five franchises over five years.

Arun Dhumal, the chairman of the IPL, said the new tournament is the "second-highest valued" league in cricket after the men's IPL.

"The responsibility lies on our shoulders to see to it that the faith that has been deposed on BCCI, we work extra hard to make sure that this Women's Premier League turns out to be at par with men's league, if not better," Dhumal said.

"We take it as a challenge and we will leave no stone unturned to make sure that what we are successful in achieving for WPL what we have done for IPL."

It's another stride for women's cricket on the international stage following the creation and expansion of female leagues in the Hundred in the UK, Big Bash League in Australia and - particularly for Kiwis - the Super Smash in New Zealand in recent years.

Former Black Caps coach Mike Hesson, who is now the director for cricket operations at Royal Challengers Bangalore, said the WPL will do wonders for all involved.

"It's a good chance to earn a significant amount of money and I'm sure there's plenty of players who have put their name in for it," Hesson said.

"I think a number of countries now are genuinely investing in the women's game and this is just another expansion of that.

"This will be the biggest and it will only get bigger."

A final date had not been locked in for the players' auction but Dhumal suggested this morning the goal was the first week of February with teams given a purse of 120 million rupees (NZ$2.3 million) each for the first season.

With teams allowed to carry squads of up to 18 players each, it means the average player salary for the opening season would be NZ$126,100 although proven athletes - such as White Ferns stars Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Melie Kerr - could fetch higher sums if they put their names forward.

Former White Fern Katey Martin said those numbers are life-changing.

"Some players could earn up to 300k for a three-week tournament," she said.

"It will help or even force other places to actually invest as well."

BCCI president Roger Binny said he was "surprised" by the improvement in women's cricket in recent years but now expected the WPL to take the game even further.

"The game has taken off so much and now with the WPL coming in, that could take the players even further," Binny said.

"Like what happened in the men's section, the game really took off [with the creation of the IPL] and the game improved so much.

"The same thing is going to happen in women's cricket."