30 out of the 87 cricketers participating in the ongoing inaugural season of Women’s Premier League belong to countries other than India.
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Considering how hundreds of overseas cricketers have participated and dozens have contributed significantly in the Indian Premier League over the years, these 31 overseas Women’s cricketers would also be hoping to leave a long-lasting impact in not only the first season of the WPL but even the subsequent ones.
The fact that three out of the five captains in WPL 2023 are overseas cricketers highlights the importance of what these players bring to the table especially with respect to experience. In what is only the first season of the tournament, one expects all the overseas names to directly or indirectly groom the inexperienced Indian players irrespective of whether they are leading or not.
How many Overseas Players are allowed in WPL Playing 11?
Set to enter its 16th season later this month, the IPL has been allowing each team to have a maximum of four overseas players in its Playing XI. Over the years, one has seen several incidents of teams taking the field with three overseas players as well.
How many Overseas Players are allowed in WPL Playing 11?
However, as far as the WPL is concerned, teams are allowed to field a maximum of five overseas players in a Playing XI but only on one condition. It is worth mentioning that the fifth overseas player will only be allowed is she is from an Association nation.
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A prime example of the same has been put forward by Delhi Capitals in the second match of the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Brabourne Stadium today. Only team to have bought a player from an Association nation, Capitals have handed an opportunity to USA pacer Tara Norris as their fifth overseas player.
Since no other team has any player from the Association nation in their squad, the option of playing a fifth overseas player can only be exercised by Delhi in WPL 2023. It is noteworthy that Gujarat Giants had bid for UAE’s Mahika Gaur but couldn’t buy her as they had already exhausted their overseas quota of six players per squad.
What are Associate Nations in Cricket?
106 cricket-playing countries have been divided into two groups by the ICC (International Cricket Council), global governing body of cricket. Known as Test Playing teams, the first group comprises 12 nations. The second group, known as Associate Members, consists of as many as 94 countries.
