The much-anticipated second season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is set to grace Bengaluru and Mumbai in February 2024. Following the template of its inaugural edition, this season will feature five franchises vying for glory in the women’s T20I event.
Staying true to the format that worked well in the first season, the competition will comprise a double round-robin structure, culminating in the top three teams progressing to the knockout stages. The team finishing at the summit of the points table will secure a direct path to the final, while the next two teams will face off in the Eliminator.
While the fixtures are yet to be officially confirmed, a unique caravan-style approach will be adopted, where each team will complete their set of matches in one city before moving to the next. This strategy sets it apart from previous reports suggesting a home-and-away format, similar to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) published a list of players on October 19, retaining 60 of them and releasing 29. The much-anticipated player auction is scheduled for December 2023, providing teams with an opportunity to bolster their squads.
The WPL made a spectacular debut in February 2023, featuring five prominent franchises: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). All the matches in the first season were held at the iconic Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s team, led the Mumbai Indians to victory, defeating the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals in the summit clash in Mumbai.
This historic win earned them the distinction of becoming the first-ever champions of the tournament. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants had challenging seasons, finishing fourth and fifth in the points standings, respectively.