More money. More hype. More plans. Women’s cricket is set to be transformed with the advent of the new franchise Twenty20 tournament in India.

The Women’s Premier League starts Saturday in Mumbai with star players from around the world, just a week after Australia defended its T20 World Cup title in South Africa.

The WPL has the backing of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the wake of the enormously successful Indian Premier League, the sport’s leading franchise competition.

“The Women’s Premier League is a huge development. Female cricketers in India will stick to the sport for a longer duration now, and it will only benefit Indian cricket in the longer run,” Mithali Raj, a former captain of India and a mentor for the Gujarat Giants. “The league will expand in the future and bring financial viability to the women’s game.”

The BCCI for several years resisted calls for a women’s T20 competition, citing a lack of interest from sponsors and broadcasters, but did stage a four-match Women’s T20 Challenge to run parallel with the IPL knockouts. Other countries including Australia, which has dominated women’s cricket, and England stole a march in terms of women’s franchise leagues.

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