The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 players’ auction saw a plethora of players going under the hammer on Monday in Mumbai. However, out of 409 registered players, only 87 could find buyers at the mega event. All five franchises have splurged a huge amount of money to form their teams who will participate in the inaugural edition of the tournament which starts next month in Mumbai.
The auction turned out to be a game-changer before the WPL 2023 begins as a number of players earned a handsome amount of money. The Indian players were surely the favourites at the auction because a total of 10 cricketers from the country crossed the 1 crore mark. Star batter Smriti Mandhana became the most-expensive cricketer while all-rounder Devika Vaidya was the last crorepati on the list.
Read More: WPL Auction 2023: Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur sold to Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.8 crore
Let’s have a look at players who hit the pay dirt at WPL 2023 Auctions
Smriti Mandhana: The Royal Challengers Bangalore roped in the Indian vice-captain for a whopping sum of Rs 3.40 crore. She was the first player to be sold at the WPL players’ auction on Monday.
Deepti Sharma: The star Indian all-rounder found a home in the UP Warriorz camp, bagging a lucrative deal of Rs 2.6 crore. The Agra cricketer is set to represent her state in the inaugural edition of the WPL 2023. She also becomes the second-most expensive Indian player at the auction.
Jemimah Rodrigues: A day after playing a match-winning knock against arch-rival Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2023, Jemimah has been roped in by Delhi Capitals for a sum of Rs 2.2 crore. She has recently found her rhythm back and her presence in the Delhi squad will boost the team’s confidence.
Shafali Verma: The Haryana youngster was picked up by Delhi Capitals for a sum of Rs 2 crore and will join her teammate Jemimah Rodrigues at the DC camp. The dynamic opener recently led the Indian team to the title triumph at the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup and is ready to represent Delhi in the WPL.
Pooja Vastrakar: One of India’s finest all-rounders, Pooja was picked by Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.9 crore. She has been an asset for the Women in Blue and now, she will carry the same aura for the Mumbai team in the inaugural edition of the WPL 2023.
Read More: India vs Australia 2nd Test: KL Rahul Gets Another Lifeline, THIS Batter Fails to Regain Fitness
Richa Ghosh: The 19-year-old has developed herself as a dependable finisher in the T20s and that quality bagged her a Rs 1.9 crore deal by the RCB. Richa, a wicketkeeper-batter, is currently in South Africa for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 and was also a part of the victorious India U-19 team, led by Shafali.
Harmanpreet Kaur: The Indian skipper might be a bit on the lower side of the list but Mumbai Indians have surely found a captain in her. Harmanpreet Kaur, who became the second player to be sold at the WPL auction, joins the MI camp with a price tag of Rs 1.8 crore.
Renuka Singh: Team India’s leading pacer, Renuka has been roped in by the RCB for Rs. 1.5 crore. The right-arm quick has expressed her excitement about being a part of the WPL and is looking forward to sharing the dressing room with the likes of Smriti, Ellyse Perry among others.
Yastika Bhatia: The wicketkeeper-batter is set to join Mumbai Indians for the WPL 2023. She was bought for Rs 1.5 crore and is set to play with her Indian skipper, Harmanpreet. Yastika is a very athletic wicketkeeper who also gives a great batting option in top-order.
Devika Vaidya: After making her international debut in 2014, Devika could play only 11 T20Is for India. But she hit the jackpot in WPL auctions when Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz indulged in a tussle to have her onboard in the accelerated round. From a base price of Rs 30 lakh, Devika went on to fetch a deal worth Rs 1.4 crore and is set to represent the UP team in WPL 2023.
