1. Number of Teams

• Indian Premier League (IPL) began with 8 teams in 2008 and expanded to 10 teams in 2022.

• Women’s Premier League (WPL) started with 5 teams and is yet to expand.

2. Squad Size & Composition

• IPL teams can have up to 25 players, with a maximum of 8 overseas players in the squad.

• WPL teams have a smaller squad size, with a maximum of 18 players, including up to 6 overseas players.

3. Playing XI Rules

• In IPL, a team can field a maximum of 4 overseas players in the playing XI.

• In WPL, a team can field 4 overseas players, with an additional slot available for a player from an Associate Nation (such as UAE, USA, or Scotland).

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4. Tournament duration and location

• IPL runs for nearly two months (from March 22 to May 25 in 2025) and follows a home-and-away format across multiple cities. A total of 72 matches will be played in the 2025 season, with the number possibly increasing in future editions.

• WPL is a shorter tournament, lasting around a month (from February 14 to March 15 in 2025). It was initially held in a single city (Bengaluru), expanded to two cities (Bengaluru and Delhi) in 2024, and further extended to four cities—Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai—in 2025. The 2025 WPL season will feature 22 matches.

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Since its inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has grown from a domestic tournament into a global phenomenon, reshaping the landscape of T20 cricket. It has set the blueprint for other T20 leagues across the world, introduced innovative cricketing rules, and catalysed the growth of the sport in non-traditional regions.

When the IPL launched, skeptics doubted whether a franchise-based T20 league could thrive in a country where Test cricket was revered. But the IPL’s fusion of cricket, entertainment, and glamour struck a chord with the masses. The league’s success was fueled by India’s rising middle class, increased disposable income, and the boom of satellite TV and internet connectivity. Within a few years, the IPL not only silenced critics but set a new global benchmark, inspiring almost all the cricket leagues worldwide in some way or the other.

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Take England’s The Hundred, for example. Launched in 2021, this 100-ball tournament represents a radical shift from traditional formats. While not an exact replica of the IPL, it borrows key elements such as shorter matches, franchise branding, and fan-centric engagement. The league has also attracted significant Indian investment, with four IPL franchises—Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, SunRisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals—owning stakes in Oval Invincibles, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, and Southern Brave. Notably, two of the remaining four teams are backed by Indian-American tech entrepreneurs, further underscoring India’s expanding influence in global cricket.

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Age fraud, the deliberate misrepresentation of an athlete’s age to gain an unfair advantage, has plagued Indian sports, particularly cricket, for decades. The issue resurfaces repeatedly, casting a shadow over the integrity of the game and the future of young athletes.

In November 2024, six Hyderabad players, including the designated captain of the U19 state team, were banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for age falsification. The players had been selected to represent the state in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, a prestigious national U19 tournament. Parental complaints led to the discovery of this age fraud incident.

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Women’s cricket has also faced similar challenges. In December 2022, just weeks before the inaugural Women’s Under-15 One-Day Tournament, a shocking discovery was made: 14 out of 25 probable players from Karnataka failed the age verification test. Such incidents at regular intervals highlight how deeply entrenched this problem is across genders and age groups.

Age fraud often involves falsifying official documents like birth certificates, school records, or affidavits to make players appear younger than they are. The advantages of manipulating age include extending eligibility for age-restricted competitions, gaining a competitive advantage over younger opponents, securing scholarships, government jobs, reserved educational seats, and even setting new national records.

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Cricket originated in England, but has been spread worldwide by British soldiers and settlers in the past few hundred years. It is now the second most popular sport in the world in terms of number of fans, after soccer. This spread has been most successful in the Indian sub-continent, which is now considered the epicentre of world cricket. This region includes countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), 90% of the world’s cricket fans are from the sub-continent.

History of cricket in the Indian sub-continent

Cricket was introduced to the Indian sub-continent by sailors and traders from the East India Company in the early 18th century. The first recorded cricket match in this region was played between British sailors in western India in 1721.

Introducing English sports and traditions was intended to assert British dominance and cultural superiority. However, Indian elites embraced cricket as a way to gain favour with their rulers. Over time, cricket became popular with the entire population.

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