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Cricket PlayersWPL Auction 2023 Highlights: Smriti Mandhana costliest player at ₹3.4 crore; Harmanpreet, Deepti, Jemimah hit jackpots
WPL Auction 2023 Highlights: Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive purchase with RCB bagging the India opener for ₹3.4 crore. Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur joined Mumbai for ₹1.8 crore, and Delhi got Jemimah Rodrigues. Catch highlights of the Women's Premier League 2023 auction here.
WPL Auction 2023 Highlights: Smriti Mandhana was the biggest attraction as she ended up as the most expensive purchase in the WPL Auction 2023, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) acquiring her for ₹3.4 crore. In what turned out to be an entertaining day in Mumbai, the franchises battled hard to get their player, with plenty of drama. Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner sparked a huge bidding war, with Gujarat Giants (GG) finally bagging her for ₹3.2 crore. Meanwhile, England's Natalie Sciver went to Mumbai Indians (MI) for ₹3.2 crore and in a day which looked like it was for all-rounders, Deepti Sharma was also roped in by UP Warriorz for ₹2.6 crore. Having recently smacked a match-winning unbeaten half-century vs Pakistan in the Women's T20 World Cup, Jemimah Rodrigues hit the jackpot and was purchased by Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹2.2 crore, and they also bought Shafali Verma for ₹2 crore. Meanwhile, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur went to Mumbai for ₹1.8 crore, Ellyse Perry and Renuka Singh were purchased by RCB for ₹1.7 crore and ₹1.5 crore respectively. The auction saw 87 players go sold, including 30 overseas players, including the likes of Devika Vaidya going to UP for ₹1.4 crore, Amelia Kerr to MI for ₹1 crore and Richa Ghosh joining RCB for ₹1.9 crore.
...Read MoreWPL 2023 Auction Live Updates: The absence of CSK
SRH, KKR and Punjab Kings are absent from the list of franchises but the absence of CSK is what made the biggest headlines. The franchise eventually stated that its decision to not take part in the bidding process to own a franchise in the league was a “strategic business decision”, which is exactly the kind of corportate jargon that fans love to hear, isn't it?
WPL 2023 Auction Live Updates: Base prices
The base prices start at ₹10 lakh and the maximum is ₹50 lakh. It increases from the minimum to maximum by a factor of ₹10 lakh. Team India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and India's Under-19 T20 World Cup-winning captain Shafali Verma are among the few Indians who have slotted themselves in the highest bracket. 13 overseas players have also slotted themselves under the ₹50 lakh reserve price with the likes of Ellyse Perry, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Devine & Deandra Dottin to name a few.
WPL 2023 Auction Live Updates: The venue
The JIO Convention Centre in Mumbai is hosting the auction. The BCCI had to reportedly factor in myriad factors before deciding on the date and venue. This includes non--availability of a convenient place because of a number of them being booked for weddings! What's a sports tournament compared to vows taken for life, eh?
WPL 2023 Auction Live Updates: The teams
The league is starting off with just five teams - Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Lucknow Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The BCCI has stated that the number of teams, and thus the number of games, will be increased in future seasons. Four of these sides have confirmed head coaches - Jonathan Batty (DC), Rachael Haynes (Gujarat), Jon Lewis (UP) and Charlotte Edwards (MI).
WPL 2023 Auction Live Updates: Hello and welcome!
The WPL is here at last. Well, not yet, but it all begins with the auction, it is only now that teams will get faces to represent them and wear their jerseys. There is no CSK without MS Dhoni, no RCB without Virat Kohli, no Mumbai Indians without Sachin Tendulkar and many more and so, this auction is what will shape the identity of all the teams not just in the buildup for the first season of this league, but for the foreseeable future as well.
