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Players from region rake in the moolah at Women’s Premier League auction
A few days ago, 19-year-old Shafali had led India to the first ICC world title beating England in the final of the U-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa
Cricketers Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur overcame many hurdles growing up and playing cricket in Haryana’s Rohtak and Punjab’s Moga, respectively. Their unwavering pursuit to become cricketers and hone their skills has made them a lynchpin for the Indian team, which is presently eyeing a trophy in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup being played in South Africa. On Monday, the duo fetched the highest bids in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, among the players from the region.
Shafali is all set to play for Delhi Capitals, who paid ₹2 crore for the swashbuckling opener’s services, while Harmanpreet Kaur is all set to don Mumbai Indian colours fetching ₹1.8 crore.
A few days ago, 19-year-old Shafali had led India to the first ICC world title beating England in the final of the U-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa.
Meanwhile, Harmanpreet, whose iconic 115-ball unbeaten knock of 171 runs against Australia in the 2017 World Cup, made her a hero, is leading India senior team in South Africa.
“Women’s cricket is on an upswing. The BCCI has done a remarkable thing to conduct the WPL. Now, women cricketers have so many avenues to showcase their talent. Years ago, girls did not find many cricket academies where they were encouraged to train. There were no tournaments for girls. Shafali once played a U-12 tournament in Panipat in place of her brother Sahil as she had the same hairstyle,” said Shafali’s father Sanjeev Verma. “Shafali has set an example for young girls in the region,” added her mother Parveen. Smriti Mandhana became the highest-paid women cricketer when she was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a massive amount of ₹3.4 crore.
Expressing her delight from South Africa, India captain Harmanpreet said, “WPL is a game-changer for all of us. To experience this pressure for the first time, I am very excited, and at the same time, it will entirely change women’s cricket, not only in India but even in world cricket,” Harmanpreet said.
Another cricketer from the region, who also became crorepati from the WPL auction, is Himachal Pradesh’s Renuka Thakur, who was sold for ₹1.5 crore to Royal Challengers Bangalore. A medium-pacer, Renuka, hails from Parsa village in Shimla district.
The Mohali-based all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, whose father is a carpenter, was bought by Mumbai Indians for ₹50 lakh. The 23-year-old made a successful debut for India in the tri-series in South Africa. An all-rounder from Patiala, 20-year-old Kanika Ahuja was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for ₹35 lakh.
Another Mohali-based cricketer Harleen Deol, who plays for Himachal Pradesh in the domestic circuit, was bought by Gujarat Giants for ₹40 Lakh. HP’s Tanuja Kanwer went to Gujarat Giants for ₹50 lakh and Sushma Verma was also taken by Gujarat Giants for ₹60 lakh.
Jasia Akhtar, who hails from Kashmir’s Shopian district, but plays for Rajasthan, was sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹20 lakh. Wicket-keeper batter Taniya Bhatia from Punjab, was sold to Delhi Capitals for ₹30 lakh.
