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Who is Mallika Sagar, the auctioneer of the inaugural WPL Auction 2023
Auctioning high profile sports event is not new for Mallika, having previously conducted the auctions of the Pro Kabaddi League
The player auction of the inaugural edition of Women’s Premier League (WPL) is underway in Mumbai. A total of 409 players have registered for the same, out of which 246 are Indian, while the remaining 163 are overseas cricketers. Out of the 163, eight come from the associate nations.
₹50 lakh is the maximum base price and 24 elite cricketers, including Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur were listed under it. This is followed by a base price of ₹40 lakh, with 30 players slotted in this bracket.
BCCI has appointed Mallika Sagar to conduct the auction.
Follow: WPL Auction 2023 Live Updates
Who is Mallika Sagar?
Mallika Sagar is Mumbai-based art collector and consultant, with rich interest in Indian art. However, auctioning high profile sports event is not new for Mallika, having previously conducted the auctions of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2021.
She began auctioning at Christie's in 2001, a British auction house, where she was also the first woman of Indian origin.
Mallika prepared for the WPL auctions by watching the old videos of previous IPL auctions.
WPL Auction 2023: Full list of sold and unsold players
During an interview ahead of the auction, Mallika said: “I am very honoured to be asked and proud to be doing that.
"Indian women will finally get their due on the international stage, they will have the ability to play at the highest level."
‘Game changer’
Meanwhile, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur called WPL as "game changer" and "the next big thing".
"I think it is going to be a game-changer, not only for India but for the world as well. We are excited about it," said Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in a video shared by BCCI.
The inaugural edition of WPL will start next month in Mumbai. The tournament will get underway from March 4 and will conclude on 26, with matches being played across two venues in the metropolitan.
Out of the five WPL franchises, three were acquired by the owners of IPL teams-- Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals.
