The Nashik Women’s Premier League (NWPL) took a major step towards its inaugural season with the grand unveiling of the tournament trophy, setting the tone for what promises to be a significant platform for women’s cricket in the district. Organized by the Nashik District Cricket Association (NDCA), the league will be held from April 25 to May 1 and will feature five teams competing across 13 matches.
The unveiling ceremony also included the showcase of team jerseys, with players, officials, sponsors and dignitaries in attendance. The event highlighted the growing emphasis on promoting women’s participation in competitive cricket and building structured opportunities at the district level.
In the lead-up to the tournament, the player auction emerged as a key milestone. Held on April 14, the auction saw 91 players go under the hammer, out of which 75 were successfully picked by franchises. The auction was conducted across four categories—Icon, Category A, Category B and Emerging Players ensuring a balanced mix of experienced and young cricketers across teams.
The bidding witnessed strong competition among franchises, particularly for all-rounders and wicketkeeper-batters. Pallavi Bodke turned out to be the highest-valued player in the auction, earning 28,000 points before being signed by Balaji Super Novas. Her selection was among the standout moments of the auction process.
The five teams participating in the league are Balaji Super Novas, Sangale Strikers, Maratha Warriors, Jijamata Squad and The Rising Stars. All teams completed their squad selections following the auction, with a mix of players across categories forming the final line-ups. Each of the five teams was built around an icon player. Tejaswini Batwal represents Balaji Super Novas, Rasika Shinde will play for Maratha Warriors, Shalmali Kshatriya for Sangale Strikers, Ishwari Savkar for The Rising Stars, and Dnyanada Nikam for Jijamata Squad.
Squads:
Balaji Super Novas
Tejaswini Batwal, Dnyaneshwari Santosh Gholap, Tanvi Kattimani, Tanvi Ravindra Tathe, Nidhial, Jyoti Rathore, Madhura Dayama, Pallavi Bodke, Gauri Mahendra Ahire, Vedika Kiran Jondhale, Akshara Rajendra Sangale, Pooja Wagh, Ojasvi Deore, Dhanshree Mange Bhutada, Roshani Mohabansi
Maratha Warriors
Rasika Shinde, Arya Abhijit Gadgil, Aaradhya Shrikant Garunge, Nikita Jondhale, Anushka Sonawane, Kartiki Sanjay Gaikwad, Ruchira Yogesh Thorat, Sanskruti Sumit Kantak, Aishwarya Wagh, Pratiksha Vishwas Deshmukh, Deepshree Gavhane, Jayshri Baban Bidkar, Asmita Narendra Khairnar, Pratiksha Santosh Shindode, Akshara Jadhav
Sangale Strikers
Shalmali Kshatriya, Prachiti Bhavar, Aarohi Sanap, Aaradhya Digambar Botwe, Mohini Ashish Kulkarni, Kalyani Ananda Kute, Prerana Kangane, Kavya Nitin Darade, Kavya Dighe, Niyati Sandeep Sadgir, Anshika Ramdas Waje, Shravani Katkade, Aaradhya Deepak Pagar, Neha Shelar, Sharddha Ganesh Jagtap
The Rising Stars
Ishwari Savkar, Vaishnavi Sharma, Ragini Sonawane, Aarohi Narayan Dhatrak, Avani Kiran Tilekar, Sapna Pawar, Siddhi Pingale, Jasmeen, Aradhya Hemant Unawane, Prerna Vishnu Gavit, Shambhavi Sangale, Nyssa Kaur, Prapti Sharad Ingale, Nikita Santosh More, Riddhi Khot
Jijamata
Lakshmi Yadav, Dnyanada Nikam, Arnavi Pawar, Vaibhavi Balasubramaniam, Arya Ujjwal Navsarikar, Shraddha Ingole, Hitakshi Agrawal, Shruti Mangesh Godse, Shravni Pawar, Pranika Bhardwaj, Janhavi Harishchandra Anandpawar, Swarali Nilesh Ingale, Nirjala Shyam Wagh, Shruti Gite, Gargi Chandwadkar
The tournament will follow a league format before moving into the knockout stage, with semi-finals and a final deciding the champion. With preparations completed and squads finalized, the NWPL is set to provide a competitive stage for women cricketers in Nashik and contribute to the growth of the sport at the grassroots level.
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