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Women’s franchise leagues
The leagues that have turned women’s cricket into a year-round professional sport.
The major leagues
Women’s Premier League (India) – five franchises, launched in 2023.
Women’s Big Bash League (Australia) – eight teams, played since 2015.
The Hundred (England and Wales) – eight teams playing a 100-ball format, launched in 2021.
Super Smash (New Zealand) and the Women’s Caribbean Premier League complete the calendar, giving overseas stars the chance to play across hemispheres.
WPL champions
Questions and answers
Which was the first women’s franchise T20 league?
The Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, first played in the 2015–16 season, is the longest-running of the major women’s franchise leagues.
About women’s franchise leagues
Franchise T20 leagues have transformed women’s cricket, giving players professional contracts, bigger audiences and the chance to play alongside the world’s best.
The major leagues
The Women’s Big Bash League in Australia (since 2015), The Hundred in England and Wales (since 2021) and India’s Women’s Premier League (since 2023) are the biggest, joined by New Zealand’s Super Smash and the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.
A year-round calendar
Because the leagues are spread across the year, top players can move between them, bringing experience back to their national teams.