Indian cricket was set to witness another piece of history on Saturday (4) when the inaugural edition of its Women's Premier League (WPL) would kick off with a clash between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
The game will start at 8 pm local time after the opening ceremony scheduled at 6.25 pm local time.
Fans of Indian women's cricket had been long demanding for a league for the country's women cricketers similar to the men's tournament -- the Indian Premier League (IPL), which was started in 2008 and proved to be a thumping success over the years.
On Saturday, the dream will finally come to be true.
The IPL has not only been a monetary success but it has also produced some of the finest talents, both for India and other nations that have come to participate in it, and now, the expectations are similar from the women's version.
Apart from Gujarat and Mumbai, the WPL features three other teams and they are Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz. The tournament will see each team playing another twice, followed by the playoffs and final. There will be 22 matches in all and the title round will be played on March 26.
In Saturday's game, the Giants will be led by Australian Beth Mooney, who top scored for her country in the final of the recently held Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa and ended up as the player of the match as Australia lifted their record sixth title beating the home country.
The Mumbai Indians will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the India captain who came under massive criticism after getting run out casually in the semi-final of the same tournament against Australia.
Players, fans and experts will be hoping for a cracker of an encounter to kick off the WPL, just like the memorable opening game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru in 2008 had set the tone for the IPL.
Bangalore will take on Delhi in the second matchday of WPL at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday (5).
Here are the squads for Saturday's WPL game:
Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (Captain), Sabbhineni Meghana, Dayalan Hemalatha, Parunika Sisodia, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Sophia Dunkley, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Annabel Sutherland, Hurley Gala, Ashwani Kumari, Sushma Verma, Sneh Rana, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Tanuja Kanwar, Shabnam Md Shakil.
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Hayley Matthews, Humaira Kazi, Neelam Bisht, Chloe Tryon, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Amelia Kerr, Heather Graham, Jintimani Kalita, Yastika Bhatia, Issy Wong, Saika Ishaque, Sonam Yadav
This photograph taken on April 28, 2026 shows a boy getting "thali", a sacred thread tied to his neck symbolising marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom.Getty Images
This photograph taken on April 29, 2026 shows a member of the transgender community mourning as a priest cuts the "thali", a sacred thread symbolising end of her marriage to Hindu warrior god Aravan during the annual Koovagam transgender festival at the Koothandavar temple in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. For a few fleeting days each year, at the heart of the Koothandavar Temple where ostracised transgender community members from across India come to honour the Hindu deity Aravan, a tradition rooted in millennia-old Hindu texts -- and to enjoy a brief oasis of freedom. Getty Images
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Women are choosing reverse Kanyadan, rather than giving away the bride, groom's father are also performing Kanyadan.iStock
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A screenshot of Prada manufactured Kolhapuri Chappal on their website.
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Vietnamese Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Pannakara offers water to his pet dog Aloka, a stray rescued from India, at the start of the 'Walk For Peace' pilgrimage in Dambulla, in northcentral Sri Lanka on April 22, 2026. A high-profile stray dog trotted at the head of a barefoot "peace walk" on April 22 by a group of 13 saffron-robed Buddhist monks led by Pannakara across Sri Lanka, braving searing tropical heat. The peace walk has amassed a large online following, with their Facebook page drawing more than three million followers. Getty Images
Vietnamese Buddhist monk Bhikkhu Pannakara (R) looks on during the start of the 'Walk For Peace' pilgrimage in Dambulla, in northcentral Sri Lanka on April 22, 2026. A high-profile stray dog trotted at the head of a barefoot "peace walk" on April 22 by a group of 13 saffron-robed Buddhist monks led by Pannakara across Sri Lanka, braving searing tropical heat. The peace walk has amassed a large online following, with their Facebook page drawing more than three million followers. Getty Images