Sawt Falasteen - Kaur powers Mumbai Indians to 207 in the inaugural WPL match

Kaur, who was bought by Mumbai Indians for 18 million rupees ($220,000), struck 14 fours in the 30-ball innings in front of a packed house that opened to cheers from thousands of fans and a star-studded musical performance by Bollywood actors.

Opener Hayley Matthews from the West Indies smashed four sixes and three fours to score 47 off 31 balls to kickstart the campaign after Gujarat Giants led by Australian Beth Mooney won the toss and elected to field.

The WPL generated hundreds of millions of dollars even before the first ball was bowled and found a boisterous support base in the cricket-mad nation in what experts have billed a game-changing moment for women's sport.

Bollywood stars Kiara Advani and Kriti Sanon opened the new league in front of a jubilant crowd that nearly packed out a 55,000-capacity stadium in India's business hub Mumbai.

New Zealander Amelia Kerr remained unbeaten at 45 off 24 balls, with six fours and one six in the opening match of the tournament christened on the lines of cash-rich Indian Premier league.

Gujarat Giants spinner Sneh Rana picked up two crucial wickets for 43, including Kaur's, with Georgia Wareham, Tanuja Kanwar and Ashleigh Gardner bagging one each.

Teenage fan Anshu Singh told AFP from the stands that she was excited at the prospect of a successful women's tournament to match the lucrative Indian Premier League in the years ahead.

"We are very grateful to see women playing cricket at a very big level," she added.

Excited fans wearing Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants jerseys lined up outside the stadium and chanted team slogans hours before the match began.

The WPL has earned India's cricket board a shade under $700 million in franchise and media rights, making it the second-most valuable domestic women's sport competition globally after US professional basketball.

Some players will earn more for the three-week tournament than they normally would in an entire year and Kaur said the league would benefit both cricketers and the sport.

"The young girls who have not got enough chances, for them it is a great platform where they can express themselves," she told reporters on Friday.

"I think going forward, for Indian cricket this tournament will help us to create a good team."

James Savage of the Deloitte Sports Business Group told AFP this week that the WPL was an unprecedented investment that reflected the "huge growth potential" of women's cricket.

B.Khalifa--SF-PST