Mumbai: Players for the first Women’s Premier League (WPL) were auctioned in Mumbai. The ongoing auction at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai started at 2.30 pm. The first season of the Women’s Premier League will feature Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriors and Delhi Capitals. 448 players are to be bid today. Of which only 90 are to be sold. Each team will have the freedom to form a squad of 15 to 18 players. The auction started with Smriti Mandhana’s name. He was bought by Bangalore for 3.4 crores. Australia’s star all-rounder Ashley Gardner was sold by Gujarat Giants for Rs. 3.20 crore has been included. England’s star all-rounder Nate Seaver was included in their team by Mumbai Indians for 3.2 crore rupees.
Talking about India’s star players, after India’s Jemima Rodríguez’s excellent performance against Pakistan, Delhi Capitals paid Rs. Bought for 2.20 crores. While Shefali Verma got Rs. 2 crores was bought. Deepti Sharma has been bought by UP Warriors for 2.6 crores. While Renuka Singh has been bought by Bangalore for 1.5 crores. Natalie has been bought by Mumbai for 3.2 crores. In the first set apart from Smriti, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur was sold for Rs 1 crore 80 lakh who was bought by Mumbai.
While Australia’s star wicketkeeper Beth Mooney was bought by Gujarat Giants for 2 crore rupees. England’s Sophia Dunkley was bought by Gujarat Giants for 60 lakhs. Australian captain Meg Lanning was bought by Delhi for Rs 1.10 crore. While New Zealand’s Suzy Bates, South Africa’s Tajmin Britts and Laura Walward and England’s Tammy Beaumont remained unsold. Sophie Devine was bought by Bangalore for 50 lakhs and Ashley Gardner was bought by Gujarat for 3.2 crores. While Hayley Matthews remained unsold. Their base price was 50 lakhs. Tahilia McGrath was bought by UP for one crore 40 lakhs.
South African star all-rounder Shabneem Ismail was bought by UP Warriors for one crore. New Zealand’s young all-rounder Amelia Kerr was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore and Australia’s star wicketkeeper Beth Mooney was bought by Gujarat Giants for Rs 2 crore. Australia’s star wicketkeeper Beth Mooney was bought by Gujarat Giants for Rs 2 crore.
Players like Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, all-rounder Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma have been placed in the highest base price bracket. A total of 13 foreign players have also made it to the slab with a base price of Rs 50 lakh. These players are Alice Perry, Sophie Eccleston, Sophie Devine and Dendra Dottin. Out of the shortlisted players for the auction, 30 players will get Rs. 40 lakhs has been placed in the base price bracket.
If we talk about the purse, the WPL team will get a purse of Rs 12 crore to buy in the auction. The purse will continue to increase by Rs 1.5 crore every year. However, this amount is very less compared to men’s IPL. One team has a purse of Rs 95 crore.