WPL Auction 2023 Highlights: Smriti Mandhana costliest player at ₹3.4 crore; Harmanpreet, Deepti, Jemimah hit jackpots

Vastrakar's base price is ₹50 lakh. DC and MI start the bidding war and the tag rockets past ₹1 crore. Warriorz enter at ₹1.2 crore. The price goes up to ₹1.8 crore with the Warriorz. MI have a long discussion and then raise the paddle again. Warriroz back out, MI have Vastrakar at ₹1.9 crore.

Sune Luus, Danni Wyatt and Chamari Athpaththu all go unsold. Harleen Deol is then acquired by the Gujarat Giants for ₹40 lakh. 

Base price is ₹30 lakh, UP Warriorz start the bid. DC jump in at ₹55 lakh. Giants then have her at ₹70 lakh.

She has a base price of ₹40 lakh but no one raises their paddle for her. Knight goes unsold. 

Back in the auction room now. Chamari Athapaththu, Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight, Sune Luus, Annabel Sutherland, Pooja Vastrakar, Danni Wyatt

It seems MI have already confirmed that Harmanpreet Kaur is going to be their captain in a tweet. They put out a split of their men's captain Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet. Both of them are captains of the Indian team as well. 

“We have been watching auction of men and I was glued to them. It is such a big moment for us to have a auction of this sort. The whole thing is exciting. RCB has a great legacy, it has built a great fan base. Excited to be part of such a big franchise. Very excited to be wearing that red colour and we will try and win the cup.”

Each team had a maximum purse of ₹12 crore to start off with and teams have already broken the banks in some way. This is where their purses stand at the moment. It doesn't look like anyone is going to top the ₹3.4 crore that has been paid for Smriti Mandhana. 

Delhi Capitals: 6.7 cr

Gujarat Giants: 6.2 cr

Mumbai Indians: 6 cr

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 4.90 cr

UP Warriorz: 5.2 cr

Delhi Capitals really got a move on in that session. This is how the teams shape up thus far:

RCB: Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh

MI: Harmanpreet Singh, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr

Gujarat Giants: Ash Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophia Dunkley

UP Warriorz: Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Tahlia McGrath, Shabnim Ismail

DC: Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma

Delhi Capitals making some big moves in this set. They are the first to raise the paddle and RCB join in. The two sides go through an intense bidding war before DC lock the player in at ₹2 crore.

MI are quick to make the first bid at ₹50 lakh. DC take it up to ₹75 lakh. The competition goes on and eventually, it is DC who acquire the Australia captain at ₹1.1 crore.

Delhi with a big buy at last. UP Warriorz start the bid. DC enter and take the price to ₹75 lakh. The price rockets past ₹1.1 crore with UPW and DC in the fray. The bidding war continues past ₹2 crore and eventually, DC have her at ₹2.2 crore.

Base price of ₹30 lakh, the n battle is between DC and GG and the latter eventually have her at ₹60 lakh. 

This one is the first set of pure batters. Suzie Bates, Tammy Beaumont, Tazmin Brits, Sophia Dunkley, Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt. 

The New Zealand allrounder has a base price of ₹40 lakh. MI kick it off after which RCB jump in. It is between these two teams and eventually, MI have her at ₹1 crore.

Takes a while for the first bid to come and its UP Warriorz who start off. DC and UPW compete for and eventually, the latter have the South African speed demom at ₹1 crore. 

₹40 lakh is the base price for the Aussie run-machine. RCB and MI with some intense bidding and the tag crosses 1 crore in no time. DC enteer at ₹1.4 crore, GG enter at ₹1.6 crore. It is then between them and MI and eventually, the Giants have her at ₹2 crore.

The Australia all-rounder has a base price of ₹40 lakh. RCB start the bidding, Giants come in. Giants seem to have her at ₹1.3 crore but then the Warriorz enter the race at to take her for ₹1.4 crore. Gavel goes down, end of bid. 

MI start the bidding with Sciver's base price being ₹50 lakh. DC and MI are in the race before UP come in at ₹1.7 crore. The price goes up to ₹2.8 crore with Mumbai and the UP raise that bid after a long discussion to ₹3 crore. MI raise the paddle immediately and the bidding ends at ₹3.2 crore. 

Renuka started at ₹50 lakh. The bidding is between DC and RCB and the price races past ₹1 crore. DC raise it once after ₹1.3 crore but RCB have her at ₹1.5 crore. RCB have made quite an enviable roster thus far, DC with a few frowns, they really haven't got a succesfull bid in. 

She was always going to be one of the top buys but Mandhana remains the most expensive player by some distance. DC and MI were bidding until the former pulled out at ₹1.9 crore. UPW entered the race at ₹2.2 crore Mumbai raise it to INR 2.4 crore. Warriorz raise it to INR 2.6 crore and that is where it ends.

Right done with the break, Deepti Sharma is first player of the second marquee set at a base price of ₹50 lakh. Capitals make the first bid, MI raise it to ₹55 lakh. DC, GG and MI in a three-way tussle for Deepti and the price escalates to ₹1.6 crore. GG seem to have dropped out after that. 

Smriti Mandhana acquired by RCB for ₹3.4 crore. 

Ash Gardner acquired by GG for ₹3.2 crore. 

Harmanpreet Kaur acquired by MI for ₹1.8 crore. 

Sophie Ecclestone acquired by UPW for ₹1.8 crore. 

Ellyse Perry acquired by RCB for ₹1.7 crore. 

Sophie Devine acquired by RCB for ₹50 lakh. 

Hayley Mathews, base price ₹40 lakh, goes unsold. 

England great Lydia Greenway, who is a panelist for the broadcasters, says that players back in her day would have been lucky if they earned in a lifetime the amount that Smriti Mandhana has gone for in this auction. Footage also came of the Indian team celebrating as they watched the auction with Mandhana and Harmanpreet in South Africa. 

RCB have taken three of the players in this section. Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine all taken into the squad, that is three potential captains in the same squad. They will probably relax for a while now. Hayley Matthews is the only unsold player in this bracket.