The first-ever edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) was inaugurated on 4th March 2023. The never before cricket league of India kicked off with a grand opening ceremony in which spellbound performances by renowned celebrities like Kriti Sanon, Kiara Advani and Panjabi singing sensation AP Dhillon, made it a fully exciting evening. To make this event a really special one, BCCI left no stone unturned for the big day.
It is also amazing to see that as the world celebrates Women’s History Month in March, India is setting a stage for women’s sports through the WPL for the first time in history – cherry on the cake!
Earlier today, the WPL’s official anthem “Ye Toh Bas Shuruat Hai” was unveiled on social media by Jay Shah, Secretary BCCI. The anthem composed and sung by the legendary singer Shankar Mahadevan along with singers Harshdeep Kaur and Neeti Mohan, also featured cricketers Shefali Verma, Deepti Sharma and other women cricketers.
The first edition of WPL will witness the five teams i.e. the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, UP Warriorz, Delhi Capitals, and Gujarat Giants which will fight each other to win the inaugral WPL Trophy 2023.
Towards the end of the ceremony, Roger Binny, President BCCI, Rajiv Shukla, Chairman IPL and Jay Shah, Secretary BCCI invited captains from all the teams upon the stage to unveil the WPL 2023 cup.
- Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians)
- Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
- Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals)
- Beth Mooney (Gujarat Giants)
- Alyssa Healy (UP Warriorz)
The first match of the historical tournament was played between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians in which MI won by 143 runs. In total, 24 matches will be played among the five franchises over a duration of 23 days. The final match will be played at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on 26th March 2023.
What’s the Schedule for WPL 2023 matches?
| Date | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
| 04-Mar-23 | Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 05-Mar-23 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals | 3:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 05-Mar-23 | UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 06-Mar-23 | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 07-Mar-23 | Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 08-Mar-23 | Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 09-Mar-23 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 10-Mar-23 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs UP Warriorz | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 11-Mar-23 | Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 12-Mar-23 | UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 13-Mar-23 | Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 14-Mar-23 | Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 15-Mar-23 | UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 16-Mar-23 | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 18-Mar-23 | Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz | 3:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 18-Mar-23 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Giants | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 20-Mar-23 | Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz | 3:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 20-Mar-23 | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 21-Mar-23 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians | 3:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 21-Mar-23 | UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
| 24-Mar-23 | Eliminator Match | 7:30 PM | DY Patil Stadium |
| 26-Mar-23 | Final Match | 7:30 PM | Brabourne Stadium |
When the WPL 2023 opening ceremony took place?
The WPL opening ceremony took place on March 4 2023.
What was the venue of the WPL 2023 opening ceremony?
The WPL opening ceremony will take place at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Where to watch the live broadcast of WPL 2023 matches?
The WPL opening ceremony will be live-streamed on Sports18 Network (TV) and JioCinema (mobile).
Where to buy the tickets for the WPL 2023 matches?
The tickets for the WPL 2023 matches can be bought on BookMyShow.
What’s price of the tickets?
For women, entry is free (limited seats). For others, ticket prices start from Rs 100 onwards.
Who is the most expensive player at Women’s Premier League – WPL 2023?
Smriti Mandhana, bagged by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs. 3.4 Crore ($ 410,000)
Which player hit the first ever six in Women’s Premier League (WPL)?
Hayley Matthews (Mumbai Indians) hit the first ever six in WPL against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)