So far, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has had only two seasons. In 2023, the Mumbai Indians won the tournament, and in 2024, the Royal Challengers Bangalore claimed victory.
A Brief History of the Women’s IPL
The idea of starting an Indian Premier League for women had been discussed for many years. The main reason for creating the WPL was to improve the quality and competition in women’s cricket in India, similar to the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia. After years of planning, the WPL finally began in 2023.
The first significant women’s Twenty20 competition in India was the Women’s T20 Challenge, which started as a single-match event in 2018. It expanded to include three teams and three matches in 2019, maintaining this format in 2020 and 2022. This growth helped generate interest in the league and increased betting opportunities, attracting global betting companies to the Women’s IPL.
In February 2022, then BCCI President Sourav Ganguly announced plans to create a women’s version of the Indian Premier League to replace the Women’s T20 Challenge.
On January 28, 2023, the BCCI invited bids for the league’s title sponsorship rights until 2027, which was won by the Tata Group for an undisclosed amount. The Mumbai Indians became the first champions by defeating the Delhi Capitals in the final.
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Women’s Premier League Winners List
| Season | Winner | Winning Margin | Runner-up | Final Venue | Player of the Match | Player of the Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Mumbai Indians | 134/3 (19.3 overs) | Delhi Capitals | Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai | Nat Sciver-Brunt (MI) | Hayley Matthews (MI) |
| 2024 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 115/2 (19.3 overs) | Delhi Capitals | Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, New Delhi | Sophie Molineux (RCB) | Deepti Sharma (UPW) |
WPL 2023
The inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League took place from March 4 to March 26, 2023, featuring five teams. A total of 23 matches were played in the group stage, followed by the Eliminator and the Final.
In the Eliminator, the Mumbai Indians defeated UP Warriorz by 72 runs to reach the final. The Delhi Capitals advanced to the final without needing to play any knockout matches since they topped the points table.
In the final, the Mumbai Indians triumphed over the Delhi Capitals at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai. The Delhi Capitals, led by Meg Lanning, won the toss and chose to bat first but struggled, losing early wickets. They managed to score 131 runs, with Radha Yadav contributing 27 runs.
In response, the Mumbai Indians were at 23 for two when captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt steadied the innings. Their partnerships helped Mumbai win by 7 wickets in 19.3 overs.
Nat Sciver-Brunt was awarded Player of the Match for her significant contribution in the final, while Hayley Matthews was named Player of the Series for taking 16 wickets and scoring 271 runs. The Purple Cap for most wickets went to Matthews, and the Orange Cap for most runs was awarded to Meg Lanning, who scored 345 runs. Yastika Bhatia was recognized as the Emerging Player of the Season.
Sophie Devine from RCB recorded the highest individual score with a fantastic 99 runs off 36 balls against Gujarat Giants. Tahlia McGrath from UP Warriorz scored the most half-centuries, with four throughout the tournament. Sophia Dunkley of Gujarat Giants made the fastest fifty, achieving it in just 18 balls against RCB. Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals) and Sophie Devine (RCB) both hit the most sixes in the tournament, each scoring 13 sixes in their respective innings.
Marizanne Kapp from Delhi Capitals had the best bowling figures in an innings, taking five wickets for 15 runs against Gujarat Giants. The highest team total was 223/2 by the Delhi Capitals against RCB, while the lowest was 64 runs by the Gujarat Giants, who were all out against the Mumbai Indians.
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WPL 2024
The second season of the Women’s Premier League, held from February 23 to March 17, 2024, featured the same five teams as the first season. RCB defeated the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator to set up a final against the Delhi Capitals.
In the final, RCB, captained by Smriti Mandhana, beat the Delhi Capitals by eight wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, winning their first title in both the men’s and women’s IPL.
Delhi Capitals chose to bat first but struggled, getting all out for just 113 runs. Shafali Verma was the top scorer with 44 runs. RCB’s Shreyanka Patil was the standout bowler, taking four wickets, and Sophie Molineux took three wickets.
RCB successfully chased down the target in 19.3 overs, with Mandhana, Sophie Devine, and Ellyse Perry each scoring in the 30s.
Molineux was named Player of the Final for her excellent bowling, taking three wickets for only 20 runs in her four overs.
Ellyse Perry from RCB was the leading run-scorer in the 2024 WPL, accumulating 341 runs in nine matches, earning her the Orange Cap. Shreyanka Patil also from RCB, secured the Purple Cap for the most wickets.
Deepti Sharma from RCB won the MVP award for her outstanding all-around performance, scoring 295 runs at an average of 98.33 and taking 10 wickets at an average of 21.70.
Shafali Verma of the Delhi Capitals hit the most sixes in the tournament, with an impressive total of 20 sixes in nine matches.
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