WPL 2023 trophy unveiled: The Women’s Premier League (WPL) in India began its inaugural season on March 4th, 2023, with a lavish opening ceremony held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The ceremony featured performances by prominent Bollywood actors and singers, culminating in the unveiling of the inaugural edition supernova trophy by the five captains of the participating teams.
The Mumbai Indians, who have won the men’s Indian Premier League five times, opened the WPL with a match against the Gujarat Giants. The team is led by Harmanpreet Kaur, who was purchased by the franchise for Rs 1.8 crore.
The five captains of the participating teams – Harmanpreet Kaur of Mumbai Indians, Smriti Mandhana of Delhi Capitals, Beth Mooney of Gujarat Giants, Alyssa Healy of UP Warriorz, and Meg Lanning of Ahmedabad Rockets – revealed the trophy to the audience. They were joined on stage by BCCI president Roger Binny, secretary Jay Shah, Vice president Rajeev Shukla, and IPL chairman Arun Dhumal.
The opening ceremony commenced with a performance by Bollywood actor Kiara Advani, who danced to some of the latest chartbusters. Kriti Sanon followed with a rendition of the popular track ‘Badal Pe Paon Hai’ from the movie Chak De India! and the ‘Chak De’ title track. The ceremony also included an R&B performance by AP Dhillon, starting with ‘Brown Munde.’ The event was a fitting tribute to the women’s game, with its celebration of both cricket and entertainment.
In addition to the Mumbai Indians, the WPL includes two other IPL franchises: Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Two new franchises – the Ahmedabad Rockets and UP Warriorz – also compete in the league. Notably, the first match of the tournament was delayed by 30 minutes to 8 pm IST since the opening ceremony continued until 6.25 pm IST.
In short, the Women’s Premier League’s inaugural edition began on a high note, with a grand opening ceremony and an impressive lineup of teams and players poised to make their mark on the league.
