The women’s cricket has taken a giant step forward with the introduction of Women’s Premier League (WPL). Five franchises based out of Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Lucknow will battle it out in the inaugural edition.
The Adani Sportsline Pvt. Ltd acquired the Ahmedabad-based side which was later named Gujarat Giants. Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd won the bid for the Mumbai team while Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd will own the Bangalore-based side. The other two in the list are JSW GMR Cricket Pvt. Ltd who will own the Delhi team and Capri Global Holdings Pvt. Ltd who will own the Lucknow side, Lucknow Warriors.
Exclusive:Around 1,000 Cricketers Signup for Upcoming Women’s Premier League Auction
The BCCI earned a jaw-dropping sum of Rs.4669.99 Cr in total bid for the five teams. And now, around 1000 cricketers will go under the hammer in the inaugural player auction later this month.
Here’s a look at the top batters.
Smriti Mandhana
The Indian opener Smriti Mandhana has played 111 T20Is so far and scored over 2600 runs at a strike-rate of 123.58. The dependable left-handed batter has 20 fifties to her name and can easily switch between the role of an anchor to that of an aggressor.
Harmanpreet Kaur
The India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is another experienced batter who has been capped 145 times in the T20Is and has notched up 2919 runs, including a hundred. Kaur is also a handy spinner who has 32 wickets to her name and bowls at an economy rate of 6.27.
Shafali Verma
Shafali Verma has etched her name in history book after leading the India U19 team to a winning triumph in the inaugural T20 World Cup. While Verma led the junior side, the right-handed batter had already made her debut for India earlier.
In 51 T20I matches that Shafali has played so far, she has scored 1231 runs at a strike-rate of over 134.
Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues has played 74 T20Is, notching up over 1500 runs in the format. Apart from this, the right-handed batter has also scored nine fifties for India.
Harleen Deol
Batter Harleen Deol has been a part of the side in 20 T20Is. She has scored a total of 199 runs so far but at a strike-rate of over 90. Apart from this, the right-handed player has a good bowling economy of 7.77 and can chip in with some overs if and when required.
Meg Lanning
Australia’s Meg Lanning is one of the most capped players in the T20Is. The right-hander has played 126 T20Is and has scored 3256 runs at an average of over 36 and a strike-rate of 116.49. Apart from this, Lanning has struck a couple of centuries in T20Is apart from 15 fifties as well.
WPL Auction 2023:Five Star Cricketers Who Could Hit Pay Dirt
Laura Wolvaardt
A bidding war is on the cards for South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt who has played 46 T20Is and has scored 849 runs at a strike-rate of 111.12. Wolvaardt has four fifties to her name and averages over 29.
Chamari Athapaththu
Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu is someone who can be roped in by one of the franchises in the WPL, not just for her batting but also her leadership skills. A left-handed batter, Athapaththu has played 106 matches and notched up 2181 runs at a decent strike rate of 102.05, including a hundred as well.
Grace Harris
Australia’s Grace Harris is another batter for whom the franchises might get into a bidding war. In a span of just 27 T20Is, Harris has scored 299 runs at a strike rate of 172.83, including a fifty. Moreover, the right-hander is a handy bowler having an impressive economy of less than 6.
Chloe Tryon
South Africa’s Chloe Tryon is probably one of the most experienced players in the WPL auctions. Tryon has been capped 82 times in T20Is and has scored 957 runs in the format at a strike-rate of 140.32. The left-arm bowler also has 24 wickets to her name in the T20Is and bowls at an economy of around 7.
