Aakash Chopra highlights 3 'markers' that will decide whether WPL will be a success or not

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has highlighted three 'markers' that will decide whether the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) will be a success or not. Chopra's remarks come a day after massive bids were received for five franchises. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) put out a Tweet to indicate that the combined valuation of the bids received was a whopping Rs 4669.99 crores.

𝐁𝐂𝐂𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞.

The combined bid valuation is INR 4669.99 Cr

A look at the Five franchises with ownership rights for #WPL pic.twitter.com/ryF7W1BvHH

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2023

'It's a bid day for Indian sports': Aakash Chopra

While speaking on his official YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said, "The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is here. It is a historic day not only for cricket but for Indian sports. In my opinion, there are three conditions that decide whether a tournament will be successful or not."

The first parameter he spoke about was the interest in the women's game. He explained his point by stating, "I saw the first marker in the DY Patil Stadium where 45,000 people came to watch the India-Australia match. I am saying you can make it a free entry and give prizes as well, still, 45,000 people will not come to watch unless you have some attachment to that thing. So that was a very big marker that people want to watch this cricket."

He then went on to indicate how broadcasters wanting to win the bid to telecast the Women's Premier League matches was a further indication that people would be interested in watching the tournament. Chopra explained his point by stating that since the WPL is now the second most expensive franchise cricket tournament, it is a clear indication that broadcasters are bidding on a tournament where they see the potential for returns.

The third marker he discussed was about the interest businesses showed in bidding for franchises. "The third marker is what the industry says. The first franchise was sold for ₹1200 crore, the Ahmedabad franchise that Adani bought. The lowest bid is also ₹750 crore. So the industry has realized that this property has potential," explained Chopra.