The inaugural edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/">Women’s Premier League (WPL)</a> will be played from March 4 to March 26, 2023. The tournament is expected to uplift the standard of women’s cricket with its unique franchise-style league model, replicating the success of its male counterpart. In men’s cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) succeeded in achieving their target of boosting the standard of the sport with the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

In January 2023, the IPL governing council invited bids from reputed companies to own and operate the teams in the league. On January 25, after selling the franchise rights to five investors through a tender process, the council raised a total of INR 4,669 crore. With the acquisition of franchise rights for a period of five years by multinational conglomerates, it is expected of the WPL to follow a similar success route as IPL did and return with enormous figures of positivity not just for the sport and its players, but also for the ones who invested in it.

Here is how much each of the 5 WPL franchises cost:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/wpl-2023-up-warriorz-unveil-jersey-ahead-of-inaugural-edition/" title="UP Warriorz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UP Warriorz</a> was bought by Capri Global Holdings Pvt Ltd. at INR 757 crore. The listed company has a net worth of around 5400 crores and have been an active player in the sports franchise business. After being unsuccessful in grabbing the ownership of one of the two new IPL entrants in 2022, they came back strongly to win the rights of the Lucknow-based franchise. UP Warriorz, as the franchise was eventually named, is the fourth professional sports team owned by Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd. They had earlier invested in the ILT20 team Sharjah Warriors and kho-kho team Rajasthan Warriors, with minor presence in the Pro-Kabaddi League team Bengal Warriors.

Rajesh Sharma, the founder and managing director (MD) of the company, expressed his excitement and optimism, saying that the company expects the franchise to inspire young women and cricketers, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

In the WPL auction, Warriorz's biggest buy was Deepti Sharma, whom they acquired at INR 2.6 crore. Along with Sharma, England’s Sophie Ecclestone, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail also got heavy sums in the auction in Mumbai. Healy has been named captain for the upcoming season whereas the team will be coached by Jon Lewis, assisted by Anju Jain.

GMR-JSW Cricket Pvt Ltd is the owner of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-press-release/wpl-2023-delhi-capitals-taniya-bhatia-and-poonam-yadav-gear-up-for-inaugural-season/" title="Delhi Capitals " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Capitals</a> franchise in IPL. After active participation in the cash-rich league since its inception in 2008, Delhi Capitals have now forayed into the sector of women's cricket after acquiring the franchise rights of one of the five teams. The corporate partnership of GMR and JSW groups shelled out 810 crores to participate in the marquee league.

JSW's Chief Operating Officer Divyanshu Singh cited their experience with IPL and its economics as a prime reason behind their latest venture, in an interview to The Mint. He also said that it was a wise business decision to invest in the WPL as women's cricket have garnered strong sentiment, thus giving it an crowd-attachment feature.

For the maiden WPL season, the Capitals have signed fierce India batter Jemimah Rodrigues at a massive amount of INR 2.2 crore. The franchise also got quality players in Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, and Marizane Kapp to strengthen their <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/womens-premier-league-wpl-teams-and-players-list/" title="WPL squad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WPL squad</a>.&nbsp;The team will play under the leadership of Australia’s current skipper Meg Lanning, who has won five World Cup trophies for the 'kangaroos' with her excellent leadership skills. The Jonathan Batty-coached side will play their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 5.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore- INR 901 crore

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-cricket/finally-smriti-donning-rcb-jersey-twitter-erupts-as-royal-challengers-bangalore-reveal-their-jersey-for-inaugural-wpl-season/" title="Royal Challengers Bangalore " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore </a>(RCB) are the third-most expensive franchise in the WPL. The owner of the team Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of alcohol manufacturing outlet Diageo doled out INR 901 crore to win the rights of the franchise. At the auction, the franchise splurged 11.9 crores to build its team for the competition.

The United Breweries owned franchise called the WPL a barrier-breaking practice and expressed pride for being able to associate the popular franchise with the tournament. "Breaking barriers, making history, and playing bold! Royal Challengers are the proud owners of the Bengaluru Women's Premier League Team," tweeted the franchise from its official handle.

Smriti Mandhana, who became the costliest player of the franchise at the auction got INR 3.4 crore. In the tournament, the veteran will serve the franchise not just as a batter but will also don the captain's hat.&nbsp;The Challengers spent decent money on Australia’s Ellyse Perry and India’s talented wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh as well. In addition to these names, the franchise also managed to reserve the services of New Zealand's captain Sophie Devine, England's skipper Heather Knight, and South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk at their base prices.

Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd splurged INR 912.99 crore and became the second-costliest franchise to secure participation in WPL 2023. The company is a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Industries, a multinational conglomerate company that have been a tested player in franchise leagues, participating in tournaments all across the world with their omnipresent components viz. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/" title="Mumbai Indians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> (MI), MI Cape Town, and MI Emirates.&nbsp;

A vocal supporter of grassroot development in sports, Nita Ambani said that the new league would help put the global spotlight on deserving and talented sportspersons. She also expressed optimism by saying that it will pave way for more young girls to take up sports professionally.

England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, who became the joint second-most expensive player in the WPL auction along with Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner, got fetched at INR 3.2 crore by MI. The franchise also signed India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who will be seen leading the squad in the upcoming league.&nbsp;Both veterans will be supported by other international star cricketers such as New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, India’s Pooja Vastrakar and Yastika Bhatia. These players will play a crucial role in leaving an impact on the much-awaited inaugural T20 competition.

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/" title="Gujarat Giants " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gujarat Giants </a>(GG), the franchise owned by one of the world's leading business conglomeartes, the Adani Group, became the costliest franchise of the league. One of India's most valued business groups, Adani spent a hefty amount of INR 1,289 to get the rights of the Ahmedabad-based franchise. For the tournament, the franchise has appointed Australia’s Rachael Haynes as their coach.

Adani Group got third time lucky in their attempt to enter the franchise cricket scenario in India. After being denied the rights in the 2010 and the 2021 expansion of the IPL, the group didn't want to leave any stone unturned and therefore came in with the highest bid of the inaugural WPL franchise auction. "It was all about going there and putting a right price and getting a location that we wanted. We have achieved that," Adani Sportline's head Satyam Tridevi was recorded saying to the Hindustan Times.

The Giants hit headlines in the player auction after buying Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner at a humongous sum of INR 3.2 crore. Following Gardner, her compatriot Beth Mooney became the second-highest buy for the franchise at INR 2 crore. Noting her vast experience and fabulous international numbers, the GG management has handed the reins of the team to Mooney.&nbsp;The stylish Aussie wicket-keeper batter will lead the pack and strive to get the best from other international names such as Gardner, Sophia Dunkley, Annabel Sutherland, Harleen Deol, and Sneh Rana, looking to lift the prestigious WPL trophy on March 26, 2023. &nbsp;

The inaugural edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/">Women’s Premier League (WPL)</a> will be played from March 4 to March 26, 2023. The tournament is expected to uplift the standard of women’s cricket with its unique franchise-style league model, replicating the success of its male counterpart. In men’s cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) succeeded in achieving their target of boosting the standard of the sport with the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In January 2023, the IPL governing council invited bids from reputed companies to own and operate the teams in the league. On January 25, after selling the franchise rights to five investors through a tender process, the council raised a total of INR 4,669 crore. With the acquisition of franchise rights for a period of five years by multinational conglomerates, it is expected of the WPL to follow a similar success route as IPL did and return with enormous figures of positivity not just for the sport and its players, but also for the ones who invested in it.
<h3>Here is how much each of the 5 WPL franchises cost:&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>5. UP Warriorz- INR 757 crore</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1676031746607_UP-Warriorz.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/wpl-2023-up-warriorz-unveil-jersey-ahead-of-inaugural-edition/" title="UP Warriorz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UP Warriorz</a> was bought by Capri Global Holdings Pvt Ltd. at INR 757 crore. The listed company has a net worth of around 5400 crores and have been an active player in the sports franchise business. After being unsuccessful in grabbing the ownership of one of the two new IPL entrants in 2022, they came back strongly to win the rights of the Lucknow-based franchise. UP Warriorz, as the franchise was eventually named, is the fourth professional sports team owned by Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd. They had earlier invested in the ILT20 team Sharjah Warriors and kho-kho team Rajasthan Warriors, with minor presence in the Pro-Kabaddi League team Bengal Warriors.
Rajesh Sharma, the founder and managing director (MD) of the company, expressed his excitement and optimism, saying that the company expects the franchise to inspire young women and cricketers, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
In the WPL auction, Warriorz's biggest buy was Deepti Sharma, whom they acquired at INR 2.6 crore. Along with Sharma, England’s Sophie Ecclestone, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail also got heavy sums in the auction in Mumbai. Healy has been named captain for the upcoming season whereas the team will be coached by Jon Lewis, assisted by Anju Jain.

<h3>4. Delhi Capitals- INR 810 crore</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Delhi-Capitals-logo-1.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
GMR-JSW Cricket Pvt Ltd is the owner of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-press-release/wpl-2023-delhi-capitals-taniya-bhatia-and-poonam-yadav-gear-up-for-inaugural-season/" title="Delhi Capitals " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Capitals</a> franchise in IPL. After active participation in the cash-rich league since its inception in 2008, Delhi Capitals have now forayed into the sector of women's cricket after acquiring the franchise rights of one of the five teams. The corporate partnership of GMR and JSW groups shelled out 810 crores to participate in the marquee league.
JSW's Chief Operating Officer Divyanshu Singh cited their experience with IPL and its economics as a prime reason behind their latest venture, in an interview to The Mint. He also said that it was a wise business decision to invest in the WPL as women's cricket have garnered strong sentiment, thus giving it an crowd-attachment feature.
For the maiden WPL season, the Capitals have signed fierce India batter Jemimah Rodrigues at a massive amount of INR 2.2 crore. The franchise also got quality players in Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, and Marizane Kapp to strengthen their <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/womens-premier-league-wpl-teams-and-players-list/" title="WPL squad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WPL squad</a>.&nbsp;The team will play under the leadership of Australia’s current skipper Meg Lanning, who has won five World Cup trophies for the 'kangaroos' with her excellent leadership skills. The Jonathan Batty-coached side will play their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 5.

<h3>3. Royal Challengers Bangalore- INR 901 crore</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1674557817477_Royal-Challengers-Bangalore.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-cricket/finally-smriti-donning-rcb-jersey-twitter-erupts-as-royal-challengers-bangalore-reveal-their-jersey-for-inaugural-wpl-season/" title="Royal Challengers Bangalore " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore </a>(RCB) are the third-most expensive franchise in the WPL. The owner of the team Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of alcohol manufacturing outlet Diageo doled out INR 901 crore to win the rights of the franchise. At the auction, the franchise splurged 11.9 crores to build its team for the competition.
The United Breweries owned franchise called the WPL a barrier-breaking practice and expressed pride for being able to associate the popular franchise with the tournament. "Breaking barriers, making history, and playing bold! Royal Challengers are the proud owners of the Bengaluru Women's Premier League Team," tweeted the franchise from its official handle.
Smriti Mandhana, who became the costliest player of the franchise at the auction got INR 3.4 crore. In the tournament, the veteran will serve the franchise not just as a batter but will also don the captain's hat.&nbsp;The Challengers spent decent money on Australia’s Ellyse Perry and India’s talented wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh as well. In addition to these names, the franchise also managed to reserve the services of New Zealand's captain Sophie Devine, England's skipper Heather Knight, and South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk at their base prices.

<h3>2. Mumbai Indians- INR 912.99 crore</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1671443532890_Mumbai-Indians.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd splurged INR 912.99 crore and became the second-costliest franchise to secure participation in WPL 2023. The company is a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Industries, a multinational conglomerate company that have been a tested player in franchise leagues, participating in tournaments all across the world with their omnipresent components viz. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/" title="Mumbai Indians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> (MI), MI Cape Town, and MI Emirates.&nbsp;
A vocal supporter of grassroot development in sports, Nita Ambani said that the new league would help put the global spotlight on deserving and talented sportspersons. She also expressed optimism by saying that it will pave way for more young girls to take up sports professionally.
England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, who became the joint second-most expensive player in the WPL auction along with Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner, got fetched at INR 3.2 crore by MI. The franchise also signed India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who will be seen leading the squad in the upcoming league.&nbsp;Both veterans will be supported by other international star cricketers such as New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, India’s Pooja Vastrakar and Yastika Bhatia. These players will play a crucial role in leaving an impact on the much-awaited inaugural T20 competition.

<h3>1. Gujarat Giants- INR 1289 crore</h3>
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1676199139033_Gujarat-Giants.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/" title="Gujarat Giants " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gujarat Giants </a>(GG), the franchise owned by one of the world's leading business conglomeartes, the Adani Group, became the costliest franchise of the league. One of India's most valued business groups, Adani spent a hefty amount of INR 1,289 to get the rights of the Ahmedabad-based franchise. For the tournament, the franchise has appointed Australia’s Rachael Haynes as their coach.
Adani Group got third time lucky in their attempt to enter the franchise cricket scenario in India. After being denied the rights in the 2010 and the 2021 expansion of the IPL, the group didn't want to leave any stone unturned and therefore came in with the highest bid of the inaugural WPL franchise auction. "It was all about going there and putting a right price and getting a location that we wanted. We have achieved that," Adani Sportline's head Satyam Tridevi was recorded saying to the Hindustan Times.
The Giants hit headlines in the player auction after buying Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner at a humongous sum of INR 3.2 crore. Following Gardner, her compatriot Beth Mooney became the second-highest buy for the franchise at INR 2 crore. Noting her vast experience and fabulous international numbers, the GG management has handed the reins of the team to Mooney.&nbsp;The stylish Aussie wicket-keeper batter will lead the pack and strive to get the best from other international names such as Gardner, Sophia Dunkley, Annabel Sutherland, Harleen Deol, and Sneh Rana, looking to lift the prestigious WPL trophy on March 26, 2023. &nbsp;

The inaugural edition of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/">Women’s Premier League (WPL)</a> will be played from March 4 to March 26, 2023. The tournament is expected to uplift the standard of women’s cricket with its unique franchise-style league model, replicating the success of its male counterpart. In men’s cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) succeeded in achieving their target of boosting the standard of the sport with the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In January 2023, the IPL governing council invited bids from reputed companies to own and operate the teams in the league. On January 25, after selling the franchise rights to five investors through a tender process, the council raised a total of INR 4,669 crore. With the acquisition of franchise rights for a period of five years by multinational conglomerates, it is expected of the WPL to follow a similar success route as IPL did and return with enormous figures of positivity not just for the sport and its players, but also for the ones who invested in it.
<h3>Here is how much each of the 5 WPL franchises cost:&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>5. UP Warriorz- INR 757 crore</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1676031746607_UP-Warriorz.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/wpl-2023-up-warriorz-unveil-jersey-ahead-of-inaugural-edition/" title="UP Warriorz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UP Warriorz</a> was bought by Capri Global Holdings Pvt Ltd. at INR 757 crore. The listed company has a net worth of around 5400 crores and have been an active player in the sports franchise business. After being unsuccessful in grabbing the ownership of one of the two new IPL entrants in 2022, they came back strongly to win the rights of the Lucknow-based franchise. UP Warriorz, as the franchise was eventually named, is the fourth professional sports team owned by Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd. They had earlier invested in the ILT20 team Sharjah Warriors and kho-kho team Rajasthan Warriors, with minor presence in the Pro-Kabaddi League team Bengal Warriors.
Rajesh Sharma, the founder and managing director (MD) of the company, expressed his excitement and optimism, saying that the company expects the franchise to inspire young women and cricketers, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
In the WPL auction, Warriorz's biggest buy was Deepti Sharma, whom they acquired at INR 2.6 crore. Along with Sharma, England’s Sophie Ecclestone, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Grace Harris, and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail also got heavy sums in the auction in Mumbai. Healy has been named captain for the upcoming season whereas the team will be coached by Jon Lewis, assisted by Anju Jain.

<h3>4. Delhi Capitals- INR 810 crore</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/Delhi-Capitals-logo-1.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
GMR-JSW Cricket Pvt Ltd is the owner of the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-press-release/wpl-2023-delhi-capitals-taniya-bhatia-and-poonam-yadav-gear-up-for-inaugural-season/" title="Delhi Capitals " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delhi Capitals</a> franchise in IPL. After active participation in the cash-rich league since its inception in 2008, Delhi Capitals have now forayed into the sector of women's cricket after acquiring the franchise rights of one of the five teams. The corporate partnership of GMR and JSW groups shelled out 810 crores to participate in the marquee league.
JSW's Chief Operating Officer Divyanshu Singh cited their experience with IPL and its economics as a prime reason behind their latest venture, in an interview to The Mint. He also said that it was a wise business decision to invest in the WPL as women's cricket have garnered strong sentiment, thus giving it an crowd-attachment feature.
For the maiden WPL season, the Capitals have signed fierce India batter Jemimah Rodrigues at a massive amount of INR 2.2 crore. The franchise also got quality players in Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, and Marizane Kapp to strengthen their <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/womens-premier-league-wpl-teams-and-players-list/" title="WPL squad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WPL squad</a>.&nbsp;The team will play under the leadership of Australia’s current skipper Meg Lanning, who has won five World Cup trophies for the 'kangaroos' with her excellent leadership skills. The Jonathan Batty-coached side will play their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 5.

<h3>3. Royal Challengers Bangalore- INR 901 crore</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1674557817477_Royal-Challengers-Bangalore.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-cricket/finally-smriti-donning-rcb-jersey-twitter-erupts-as-royal-challengers-bangalore-reveal-their-jersey-for-inaugural-wpl-season/" title="Royal Challengers Bangalore " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Challengers Bangalore </a>(RCB) are the third-most expensive franchise in the WPL. The owner of the team Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of alcohol manufacturing outlet Diageo doled out INR 901 crore to win the rights of the franchise. At the auction, the franchise splurged 11.9 crores to build its team for the competition.
The United Breweries owned franchise called the WPL a barrier-breaking practice and expressed pride for being able to associate the popular franchise with the tournament. "Breaking barriers, making history, and playing bold! Royal Challengers are the proud owners of the Bengaluru Women's Premier League Team," tweeted the franchise from its official handle.
Smriti Mandhana, who became the costliest player of the franchise at the auction got INR 3.4 crore. In the tournament, the veteran will serve the franchise not just as a batter but will also don the captain's hat.&nbsp;The Challengers spent decent money on Australia’s Ellyse Perry and India’s talented wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh as well. In addition to these names, the franchise also managed to reserve the services of New Zealand's captain Sophie Devine, England's skipper Heather Knight, and South Africa’s Dane van Niekerk at their base prices.

<h3>2. Mumbai Indians- INR 912.99 crore</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1671443532890_Mumbai-Indians.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
Indiawin Sports Pvt Ltd splurged INR 912.99 crore and became the second-costliest franchise to secure participation in WPL 2023. The company is a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Industries, a multinational conglomerate company that have been a tested player in franchise leagues, participating in tournaments all across the world with their omnipresent components viz. <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/" title="Mumbai Indians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> (MI), MI Cape Town, and MI Emirates.&nbsp;
A vocal supporter of grassroot development in sports, Nita Ambani said that the new league would help put the global spotlight on deserving and talented sportspersons. She also expressed optimism by saying that it will pave way for more young girls to take up sports professionally.
England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, who became the joint second-most expensive player in the WPL auction along with Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner, got fetched at INR 3.2 crore by MI. The franchise also signed India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who will be seen leading the squad in the upcoming league.&nbsp;Both veterans will be supported by other international star cricketers such as New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, India’s Pooja Vastrakar and Yastika Bhatia. These players will play a crucial role in leaving an impact on the much-awaited inaugural T20 competition.

<h3>1. Gujarat Giants- INR 1289 crore</h3>
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1676199139033_Gujarat-Giants.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/wpl-2023-season-opener-between-mumbai-indians-and-gujarat-giants-rescheduled/" title="Gujarat Giants " target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gujarat Giants </a>(GG), the franchise owned by one of the world's leading business conglomeartes, the Adani Group, became the costliest franchise of the league. One of India's most valued business groups, Adani spent a hefty amount of INR 1,289 to get the rights of the Ahmedabad-based franchise. For the tournament, the franchise has appointed Australia’s Rachael Haynes as their coach.
Adani Group got third time lucky in their attempt to enter the franchise cricket scenario in India. After being denied the rights in the 2010 and the 2021 expansion of the IPL, the group didn't want to leave any stone unturned and therefore came in with the highest bid of the inaugural WPL franchise auction. "It was all about going there and putting a right price and getting a location that we wanted. We have achieved that," Adani Sportline's head Satyam Tridevi was recorded saying to the Hindustan Times.
The Giants hit headlines in the player auction after buying Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner at a humongous sum of INR 3.2 crore. Following Gardner, her compatriot Beth Mooney became the second-highest buy for the franchise at INR 2 crore. Noting her vast experience and fabulous international numbers, the GG management has handed the reins of the team to Mooney.&nbsp;The stylish Aussie wicket-keeper batter will lead the pack and strive to get the best from other international names such as Gardner, Sophia Dunkley, Annabel Sutherland, Harleen Deol, and Sneh Rana, looking to lift the prestigious WPL trophy on March 26, 2023. &nbsp;

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be played from March 4 to March 26, 2023. The tournament is expected to uplift the standard of women’s cricket with its unique franchise-

WPL 2023: Cost of all 5 teams in the tournament

BCCI raised a total of 4,669.99 crores by selling WPL franchise rights for a period of 5 years. The individual franchise values range from 757 crores to 1,289 crores.

WPL 2023: Know how much each of the 5 franchises cost

Many business investors perceived the WPL franchise auctions to be coming in just at the right time. While some called it 'barrier-breaking', others saw it as a good investment opportunity.