KATHMANDU, May 11: A total of 107 players have registered for the upcoming Women’s Champions League (WCL), Nepal’s second women’s franchise cricket event. The tournament, set to be held at Tribhuvan University Cricket Ground in Kathmandu, was postponed a week ago to late September.
The player registration for the final draft was opened on May 2. Entrants are classified into four categories—Diamond, Sapphire, Rubies, and Wild Card.
Women’s Champions League franchises draft 55 players
International women cricketers will be included in Diamond category, followed by national cricketers in Sapphire. Likewise, regional level players will fall under Rubies, whereas talent hunt winners will be auctioned in Wild Card category. Each franchise has to acquire at least two players from the Wild Cards.
Five teams -- Lalitpur Falcons, Pokhara Paltan (Women), Capitals Royals Kathmandu, Chitwan Rhinos (Women), and Biratnagar Titans (Women) -- will take part in the tournament.
Chhumbi Lama, managing director of Queens Event Management Pvt Ltd, said they had to postpone the event as the previous dates for the Women’s Premier T20 cricket tournament clashed with the schedule of third annual season of Prime Minister’s Cup, National Sports Council’s (NSC) men’s national 50-over cricket event, which was to be held at same venue. Previously, the tournament was scheduled for May 17 to 25.
The Women Champions League had announced the marquee players and the team owners for the first edition of the franchise tournament in mid-April.
Earlier, NCL Women’s T20 Cricket League, the first ever women’s franchise-based T20 league organized by National Cricket League (NCL) Sports Pvt Ltd, was also postponed for early June. NSC’s Prime Minister’s Cup remains the common factor.
