WPL Auction: High-ranking T20I Stars Selected On Life-changing Day
The inaugural WPL auction was dominated by high-level hitters and all-rounders, with India's standout opener Smriti Mandhana getting the highest payout. The third-ranked batter in the MRF Tyres ICC Women's T20I rankings was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 3.4 crores, and 86 additional players were also given invitations to the competition's debut season.
The teams are arranged as follows, with players who are highly ranked in the ICC Rankings being particularly appealing to teams.
Delhi Capitals
The No. 5 ranked batter Meg Lanning (1.1 cr), who will also be a candidate for team captaincy, was the first player the Capitals signed in the opening round, continuing the trend of going heavy on batters and all-rounders.
After Marizanne Kapp of South Africa, the No. 18-ranked all-rounder, scored the game-winning run against Pakistan, they awaited her to sign a 2.2 million dollar contract.
The 21st-ranked all-rounder Jess Jonassen was another wise late addition.
Eighth-ranked hitter Shafali Verma (2 crore), fresh off a triumph in the ICC Under-19 T20 World Cup, was an easy choice. She is joined by another rising star, England's Alice Capsey (75 lakh), who should round out the top four of their batting order.
Capsey, who is presently ranked 53rd among batters, is expected to climb the rankings quickly after winning Player of the Match in England's victory against Ireland in the current ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023.
Others were Radha Yadav (30th) and Shikha Pandey (rated 83rd as a pacer after missing a lot of international action), while Poonam Yadav, who is no longer playing internationally, was a late addition after her name failed to draw any interest the first time it was mentioned.
Titas Sadhu, a champion of the U19 T20 World Cup, was also selected, while Delhi was the only team to choose Tara Norris of the United States for the Associate Player position.
Norris was born in Philadelphia, yet she is the cousin of Sophia Dunkley (14th) and Sabbineni Meghana (138th).
Gujarat Giants
Gujarat's approach of signing all-rounders was proven in their first pick, when they spent 3.2 crores for No. 1 ranked Australian Ashleigh Gardner, who claimed to having vivid dreams about the auction playing out in her sleep in the run-up to the event.
Deandra Dottin of the West Indies, despite retiring from international competition, sold for Rs. 60 lakh.
Harleen Deol (ranked 110th bowler), Annabel Sutherland (ranked 121st all-rounder), and Sneh Rana (ranked 46th all-rounder) join the group, as does Australian leg-spinner Georgia Wareham (ranked 40th bowler).
The consistency of second-ranked hitter Beth Mooney compliments the likes of Sophia Dunkley (14th) and Sabbineni Meghana (138th).
Mumbai Indians
MI's spending was headed by Harmanpreet Kaur (tenth-ranked batter), a 1.8cr first-round pick set to lead the squad.
Yastika Bhatia, an international teammate and future star, also signed following a $1.5 million bid.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews (the fourth-ranked all-rounder) went unsold at first but subsequently accepted a bid of Rs 40 lakh. She joined the Mumbai Indians alongside a slew of all-rounders.
Nat Sciver-Brunt (the sixth all-rounder) was the most costly of the group, costing 3.2cr, with Amelia Kerr (the fifth-ranked) a steal at 1cr.
Pooja Vastrakar (1.9 crore), Chloe Tryon (35th), and Heather Graham (Australia) each received 30 lakh.
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Splurging the cash early for Mandhana among other winning bids, viewers may have wondered how RCB would assemble a team that fit under the $12 million budget.
Following the acquisition of the left-hander, RCB added Ellyse Perry (10th all-rounder), Renuka Singh (8th bowler), and Richa Ghosh (43rd batter) to establish a formidable core.
They were astute with the remainder of their purchases, resulting in a star-studded team that included New Zealand's Sophie Devine (the third-ranked all-rounder for 50), England's Heather Knight (the 31st-ranked hitter for 40), and Megan Schutt (the 31st-ranked batter for 40). (the fifth bowler for 40).
Schutt had an anxious wait after being unsold the first time her name was called, only for RCB to jump in at the eleventh hour, but South African veteran Dane van Niekerk (19th all-rounder, 30L) was able to put a traumatic week behind her.
UP Warriorz
The dynamic of wicket-keeping picks was played out in fascinating conditions, with Australia's Alyssa Healy, perhaps the best wicket-keeper available and the ninth-ranked T20I batter, being picked up for INR 70 lakh.
The Warriors leaned more heavily on bowling than other teams, signing fast Shabnim Ismail (the eighth-ranked bowler for 1CR) and tall England quick Lauren Bell (116th).
Rajeshwari Gayakwad (66th) was selected for Rs. 40 lakh in a round of spinners in which teams were hesitant to pick, however she was accompanied by fellow spinner and world No. 1 T20I bowler Sophie Ecclestone.
Tahlia McGrath (No. 1 batter and 11th all-rounder) entered the team, as did India internationals Deepti Sharma (third bowler and second all-rounder) and Devika Vaidya (85th all-rounder), while hard-hitting Grace Harris, who is still finding her place in the Australian team, was also included.
