WPL auction likely to take place on February 13

Earlier dates had been mooted but The Cricketer understands that the second Monday of the month is a strong possibility for the inaugural auction

Nick Friend | 31/01/2023 at 17:20

The auction for the Women's Premier League is likely to be held on February 13, The Cricketer understands.

The date – the second Monday of the month – is four days into the Women's T20 World Cup, which is being held in South Africa, who are due to face New Zealand in Paarl on the evening of February 13.

Previously, dates as early as this weekend had been mooted, but this option – which has not yet been publicly confirmed by the BCCI – would give the five franchises more time to process their plans ahead of the inaugural auction.

Cricbuzz reported that the reason for the date-change was to avoid a clash with the ongoing ILT20.

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^{Mithali Raj has joined the Gujarat franchise as a team mentor [Andy Jackson/Getty Images]}

Some appointments have already been made, with Mithali Raj signed up by the Gujarat franchise as a team mentor and advisor.

Her former international teammate, Jhulan Goswami, is understood to have been offered the bowling coach role at Delhi Capitals.

Earlier in January, Viacom18 won the media rights for the competition, with BCCI secretary Jay Shah calling the development "a big and decisive step for empowerment of women's cricket in India" and "a new dawn".

The five-year deal, agreed following an auction in Mumbai, is set to be worth approximately £95.7million, which equates to more than £700,000 per match between 2023 and 2027.