BCCI to allow five overseas players in Women’s IPL
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will allow five foreign players in the inaugural season of the Women’s IPL, which is scheduled to happen in the early weeks of March. Also, the BCCI has confirmed to include at least one player from the associate nation in the playing XI.
As per a Cricbuzz report, unlike the IPL rules, where four overseas players are allowed, the fifth player will have to be from an associate nation, as mentioned by one of the sources from a potential new franchise.
Additionally, the report states that BCCI has set INR 12 crore as the salary cap for the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL), which will launch next month. The salary cap will continue to increase throughout the course of five years and will have an annual increment of INR 1.5 crore. By the end of the five-year cycle, the cap will increase to INR 18 crore. Unlike the opening edition of the IPL, there is no slot for icon players in the five-franchise tournament.
The guidelines are set for the first five years of the WIPL. It is also reported that five teams will be a part of the WIPL in the first three years, increasing to six teams in the last two years of the cycle.
The Women’s IPL is reported to commence on March 4, with the finals to be hosted on March 26. Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium are expected to host all the matches. The Wankhede Stadium won’t be available for the WIPL as it will be hosting the games of the Men’s IPL.