Franchise-based cricket tournament stands as the most popular format in modern-day cricket, captivating audiences worldwide with its blend of talent and spectacle. It serves as a platform where international stars, seasoned veterans, and emerging domestic talents converge to represent a singular team identity. This format transcends geographical boundaries, fostering a unique camaraderie among players from diverse backgrounds. With each match, fans are treated to a riveting display of skill and strategy, showcasing the global appeal and unity inherent in the sport. Players receive varying salaries to be part of different franchises in different leagues.
Women’s Big Bash League (Australia)
The Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) marked the inception of Women’s Franchise Cricket in Australia in 2015. This T20 competition showcases eight city-based franchises, with player selection conducted via a Draft system. WBBL teams are granted the opportunity to recruit up to three overseas stars through the draft, while a retention pick enables them to secure a key player from the previous season. Weighted lotteries determine the selection order for the WBBL draft; the initial two rounds follow a sequential order from one to eight. The third round operates in reverse, granting the team eight consecutive selections (picks 16 and 17), followed by round four reverting to standard order, granting the team one consecutive selection (picks 24 and 25).
Players receive salaries from the clubs, which adhere to an equal salary cap of 4,01,26,621 rupees. They are classified into four categories, each with varying salary levels.
Platinum players are designated by the Australian Cricket Board, encompassing all overseas players. However, players can determine their categorization into Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories.
Platinum – 60,29,956 INR
Gold – 49,33,601 INR
Silver –3563156 INR
Bronze –2192711 INR
The Hundred (England)
The Hundred is a 100-ball cricket tournament comprising teams from major cities across England and Wales, organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which debuted in 2021. The tournament introduced a novel concept by transitioning from the established Twenty20 format to an entirely new form of cricket. One-hundred-ball cricket is a variant of limited-overs cricket, featuring two teams, each playing a single innings composed of 100 balls. While The Hundred adheres to the Laws of Cricket, significant exceptions apply.
For the 2024 Women’s Hundred Draft, a total of 122 domestic players and 127 overseas players have registered. Each team comprises 15 players, with a maximum of four allowed to be overseas players. Player acquisition is facilitated through a draft system.
The salary cap for each team stands at 10,52,80,100 INR. According to tournament regulations, aside from the centrally contracted players nominated for each team, women’s teams have the option to retain 8 players.
Women’s Caribbean League (West Indies)
Similarly, the Women’s Caribbean League is a domestic Twenty20 women’s cricket tournament held in the West Indies. Inaugurated in 2022, the tournament initially featured three teams: Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Royals, and Guyana Amazon Warriors. They employ a draft system for player selection.
The Draft showcases top talent from across the Caribbean, including Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, and Stafanie Taylor. Additionally, overseas players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and India grace the expanded WCPL with some of the world’s finest cricketers. Shreyanka Patil made history as the first Indian player to participate in the WCPL, she was picked by the Guyana Amazon Warriors and was also the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
Women’s Premier League (India)
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is a women’s Twenty20 cricket franchise league in India that commenced in 2023, owned and operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Player selection occurs through an auction system, with a total of 165 players participating in the auction. The players are categorized into several sets, encompassing Capped Indians such as batters, wicketkeepers, bowlers, and all-rounders, as well as Capped and Uncapped Overseas players.
During the auction, players are randomly drawn from their respective categories, with teams then bidding for their inclusion. Each player within a category is assigned the same base price. Subsequently, accelerated action is conducted for the Uncapped Indian players, culminating in the formation of a list containing all players eligible for the league.
Comparison of player salaries across different franchises:
In the 2024 Women’s Hundred Draft Overseas Players list, Ashleigh Gardner from Australia has a reserve price set at 52,63,540 INR. However, in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), she was acquired by the Gujarat Giants Franchise for 3.2 Crore rupees, and in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), she falls under the Australian contracted players with 76,74,790 INR for 23-24, rising two percent each year.
On the other hand, Smriti Mandhana was the highest bid player in the WPL auction, commanding a staggering 3.4 Crore rupees. In the Hundred, she was listed under the highest reserved price category of 52,63,540 INR. In the WBBL, Mandhana is categorized as Platinum, entitling her to a tournament salary of 60,29,956 INR.