After a long wait, the Women's Premier League (WPL) is finally kicking off. Here is everything you need to know about India's new T20 franchise league for women.
Right, so finally we have the Women's IPL! Wait, or is it called something else?
It's called the Women's Premier League or just WPL.
Cool, WPL. So when does it start and where?
It starts on March 4 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, with Mumbai Indians taking on Gujarat Giants. Before you ask, there are five teams, 22 matches in all, including the final on March 26 at the Brabourne Stadium at the other end of the city.
So all matches are in Mumbai? What's the format?
Yes, all in Mumbai. Technically, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, which also comes under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. All the games will be played at just the two grounds mentioned above.
The five teams will play each other twice in the round-robin stage. That makes it eight games per team and 20 league games. Then, the team that finishes on top cruises straight into the final and watches the teams placed second and third battle it out in an eliminator that decides the second finalist.
What time are the matches?
Most matches will start at 7.30pm IST, except on double-header days, when the first match will begin at 3.30pm, like in the IPL. The WPL has four such double-headers.
Interesting. Who owns these teams again?
Three owners of IPL teams also bought teams here - Reliance got Mumbai Indians, the JSW and GMR group got Delhi Capitals, and Diageo bought Royal Challengers Bangalore. There are two new owners - Adani Sportsline bought Ahmedabad-based Gujarat Giants and Capri Global, a non-banking financial services company, took the Lucknow-based UP franchise, UP Warriorz (yes, that's with a Z, not S).
Who are the five captains?
We have two Indians and three Australians in charge:
Is there the usual rule of four overseas players per XI, like in the IPL?
That's right. Except that if a team has an Associate player - she could be played as the fifth overseas player in the XI. Capitals were the only team to buy an Associate player at the auction: Tara Norris, a left-arm quick, from USA.
Who are the players to watch out for overall?
Among the big players, you have the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Beth Mooney among others. We have also put together a list of seven unknown players who could be future superstars.
What do the five squads look like?
As per the rules, each squad has 15 to 18 members, with six overseas players each. Here are the five squads in full detail, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Why aren't these teams all playing at their home grounds then?
The BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on the day of the players auction that the tournament may expand to more cities later on, but for now it's all in Mumbai for logistical reasons - the fact that the tournament has been planned in a short period of time, only in the last few months.
So what happens if more than two teams finish on the same number of points for any of the top three places?
Take out your calculator. Once the points are tied, the team with the most wins in the league stage will be placed higher. If the wins are also the same, the team with the higher net run rate will be placed higher. If the NRR is also equal, the team with the higher number of wickets taken per legal balls bowled in matches with results will be considered higher. Hopefully we won't get that far.
What happens if a match, say the final, is tied?
You can throw that calculator out, we're not counting boundaries. If the scores are level in any game, then a Super Over will be played. If the Super Over is also tied, subsequent Super Overs shall be played until there is a winner. If it's not possible to play or complete the Super Over, the match will be tied and both teams will be awarded one point each.
If the Super Over is not possible in the eliminator or the final, then the team which finished higher on the table after the round-robin stage will be declared winner.
And what if there's a rain-curtailed match, given all games are being played in and around Mumbai?
Fair enough. Let's also take climate change into account because it doesn't (usually) rain in March in Mumbai. If it does, both teams need to bat a minimum of five overs to get a result, and the usual DLS rules apply.
Will the DRS be available?
Yes. Each team will be allowed a maximum of two unsuccessful reviews per innings. UltraEdge and HawkEye technologies will be available to the third umpire for edge detection and ball-tracking.
And we have the usual rules around concussion replacements and third umpires keeping tabs on bowlers overstepping?
Yes, it's all business as usual.
Is there free entry, like it was for some of the India vs Australia matches in December, or paid tickets like the IPL?
As of now, there is free entry for women at both grounds. Boys and men have to purchase tickets starting at INR 100 (USD 1.2 approx.).