Mumbai: The JSW and GMR co-owned Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals acquired the Delhi team at the Women's Premier League (WPL) for Rs 810 crore during an auction held in Mumbai on Wednesday. IndiaWin Sports Pvt Ltd, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd., Adani Sportsline Pvt. Ltd., and Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd. won the remaining bids for the franchises that will be based out of Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Lucknow respectively.
Speaking on the historic development, Delhi Capitals chairman & co-owner Parth Jindal said, "We at Delhi Capitals could not be more proud to become owners of a WPL franchise. What makes it even more special is that it’s from Delhi. Through our academies that are spread across NCR we have seen the amount of interest and talent there is amongst girls and women of all ages and I have no doubt the WPL will give passionate women cricketers the platform they deserve to show their skills. I am truly excited to be part of this revolution and can’t wait to get started. I would like to congratulate the BCCI and all the other owners who have shown tremendous interest in the women’s game. India has been home to the world’s best men’s T20 league since 2008 and from 2023 our great country will be home to the world’s best women’s T20 league.”
Meanwhile, team co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi expressed, "We are delighted to have won the bid for the Delhi franchise of the Women’s Premier League, adding another gem to our Capitals universe! This exemplary initiative by BCCI creates history with our long-standing commitment towards building a robust ecosystem for cricket. I am confident that the Women’s Premier League will further our goals and surely give impetus to the aspirations of many young girls and women in India and across the globe.”
Delhi Capitals CEO Dhiraj Malhotra said, “The Women’s Premier League is a potential gamechanger, just like the IPL was. The women’s game has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and the WPL promises to take it to new heights. Delhi has always been welcoming, loving and supportive of its IPL team, and I am confident that the emotion will be identical for our women’s team who we can’t wait to welcome to our Capitals family.”
The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League will be played in March this year.
