Indian cricket fraternity reacts as media rights for women's IPL sold for Rs 951 crore

Former Team India batter Mithali Raj and current star batter Smriti Mandhana took to their official social media accounts to explain why they believe that the Women's Indian Premier League (WIPL) will be a 'game-changer' in women's cricket after the media rights for the WIPL were sold for a whopping Rs 951 crores.

'Every Indian women's cricketer will remember today': Mandhana

Taking to Twitter, Harmanpreet Singh and Smriti Mandhana explained how January 16 will be a day that every Indian women's cricketer will remember after the media rights for the WIPL were sold for a huge amount. She went on to thank the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its secretary, Jay Shah, for their contributions towards the same.

Similarly, former Team India captain Mithali Raj added that the women's IPL will be a 'game-changer' for cricket and that the sale of the media rights represents a 'significant milestone.'

Other cricket legends like Jhulan Goswami and VVS Laxman also reacted to the news as they called it a 'huge shot in the arm for women's cricket in India'.

WIPL media rights sold to Viacom18

Viacom18 secured the Women's IPL media rights value for the 2023-2027 cycle for a whopping Rs 951 crore which means per match value of INR 7.09 crore for the next 5 years. The BCCI will unveil the five WIPL franchises on January 25. The news was confirmed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah via his official Twitter account on Monday.

The WIPL is a huge step forward from the Women's T20 Challenge which was previously held as an exhibition tournament. =The WIPL's first season's opening match is scheduled for March. The BCCI has not officially released the tournament's schedule, but it is widely believed that the first season, which would consist of 22 matches, will take place between March 5 and March 23.

Uncapped cricketers have been given two alternatives, while players with caps -- those who have represented India or are currently on a central contract -- can select either Rs. 30 lakhs, Rs. 40 lakhs, or Rs. 50 lakhs as their base pricing (Rs. 10 lakhs and Rs. 20 lakhs). Prior to the WIPL, the base price was separated into five categories, ranging from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 50 lakhs. The auction's registration cutoff date is January 26. 

(Inputs from ANI)