Women's IPL: MS Dhoni's CSK and 7 other IPL franchise in contention to own teams in new T20 league

Zee News

At least eight of the ten IPL franchises in the men's league will compete to purchase teams in the women's IPL, when it opens the sealed bids on January 25, the BCCI plans to reveal the franchises and the winning cities simultaneously. Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, and the IPL's defending champion Gujarat Titans will all make bids, according to ESPNcricinfo. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants, the two remaining IPL teams, have not yet confirmed if they have purchased the tender document or whether they would participate in the bidding for the five-team Women's IPL, which is set to begin in March.

Women's IPL to take place from 3 March.#IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/W7nYHzZanT

— Dr. Cric Point _ (@drcricpoint) January 12, 2023

The BCCI put the tender paperwork up for sale on January 3, and  IPL clubs are not the only entities to have purchased it. The deadline for queries from interested bidders is January 13, and the technical bids must be submitted for consideration by the BCCI and the Mumbai-based law firm Argus Partners by January 23. In the tender, the BCCI has named 10 Indian cities and the venues, allowing one entity to submit a bid for multiple cities. There is no predetermined base price, and offers will be considered for a ten-year period (2023-32).

According to the BCCI, one of the requirements for qualifying specified in the tender document is that the bidder's audited net worth must be at least INR 1000 crore as of March 31, 2022. The BCCI has stated that joint-venture or consortium companies are ineligible.

How will the bidding take place for Women's IPL?

In choosing the winning bid, the BCCI has made a crucial statement that it will not be "obligated to accept the highest monetary offer." This stipulation is identical to the one ICC set forth when it sold media rights for international events involving women for the years 2023–2027 last year. The BCCI has announced that it will consider bidders' plans for raising prominence and fostering the rapid expansion of women's cricket in India.

The BCCI listed the qualities it sought in a potential winning bidder, saying: "establishing a stable, successful, financially secure, long-term Franchise to participate in the League; ensuring the widest coverage and the widest possible audience for the League; assisting in the development of the game of women's cricket in India at all levels; maximizing and enhancing exposure, wherever possible, for each of the official sponsors of the League; increasing and enhancing exposure for women's cricket in India both within India and the rest of the world."

March has been chosen by the BCCI as the window for the WIPL. Although the BCCI has not officially confirmed the dates, it is anticipated that the inaugural season would begin around March 5 and end around March 23.