WPL Auction: India's U19 World Cup-winning captain Shafali Verma sold to DC for 2 crore

The historic day has arrived when women cricketers will go under the hammer as five franchises are ready to build their squads for the inaugural edition of the WPL in Mumbai. RCB bought India vice-captain and star opener Smriti Mandhana for INR 3.4 crore after bidding war with the Mumbai Indians. Her base price was INR 50 lakh. Mumbai Indians bought India captain Harmanpreet Kaur for INR 1.8 crore. India all-rounder Deepti Sharma sold to UP Warriorz for Rs 2.6 crore. 

 

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, BCCI President Roger Binny and IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal joined hands to unveil the Women's Premier League (WPL) auction at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. For the first time ever, the BCCI named a women auctioneer Mallika Sagar for the WPL auction. Sagar is a specialist in Indian modern and contemporary art. She is, however, no stranger to sports auction. Sagar was the auctioneer for the Pro Kabaddi League in 2021.

 

Five franchises - UP Warriorz, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore - have a maximum purse of INR 12 crore each.  Each franchise can have a minimum of 15 and maximum of 18 players as only 90 are set to be sold, out of which 30 are slotted for overseas players, including the associate nations. INR 50 Lakhs is the highest reserve price, with 24 Indian players and 13 overseas choosing to be slotted in the highest bracket. Meanwhile, 30 have slotted themselves with a base price of INR 40 Lakh.

 

WPL Auction: Full list of marquee players sold: 

1. Smriti Mandhana (India) - Rs 3.4 crore to RCB
2. Ash Gardner (Australia) - Rs 3.2 crore to Gujarat Giants
3. Harmanpreet Kaur (India) - Rs 1.8 crore to MI
4. Ellyse Perry (Australia) - Rs 1.8 crore to RCB
5. Sophie Ecclestone (England) - Rs 1.8 crore to UP Warriorz
6. Sophie Devine (New Zealand) - Rs 50 lakh to RCB
7. Deepti Sharma (India) - Rs 2.6 crore to UP Warriorz 
8. Renuka Singh (India) - Rs 1.5 crore to RCB
9. Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) - Rs 3.2 crore to MI 
10. Tahila McGrath (Australia) - Rs 1.4 crore to UP Warriorz
11. Beth Mooney (Australia) - Rs 2 crore to Gujarat Giant 
12. Shabnam Ismail (South Africa) - Rs 1 crore to UP Warriorz 
13. Amelia Kerr (New Zealand) - Rs 1 crore to MI 
14. Sophia Dunkley (England) - Rs 60 lakh to UP Warriorz 
15. Jemimah Rodrigues (India) - Rs 2.20 crore to Delhi Capitals 
16. Meg Lanning (Australia) - Rs 1.1 crore to Delhi Capitals 
17. Shafali Verma (India) - Rs 2 crore to Delhi Capitals 
18. Pooja Vastrakar (India) - Rs 1.9 crore to MI 
19. Harleen Deol (India) - Rs 40 lakhs to Gujarat Giants 
20. Yastika Bhatia (India) - Rs 1.50 crore to MI 
21. Richa Ghosh (India) - Rs 1.9 crore to RCB 
22. Radha Yadav (India) - Rs 40 lakhs to Delhi Capitals 
23. Shikha Pandey (India) - Rs 60 lakhs to Delhi Capitals 
24. Sneh Rana (India) - Rs 70 lakhs to Gujarat Giants