The second edition of the Women’s Premier League Player auction is now just a week away with the league releasing the final list of players who have enlisted for the 9 December event in Mumbai.
A total of 165 players will go under the hammer, of which 104 are Indians and 61 are overseas players. There are 15 players from associate nations as well.
Among the 165, 56 are capped players while 109 are uncapped.
West Indian all-rounder Deandra Dottin, Australian fast bowler Kim Garth are the only two players to have listed their base price at the maximum amount of Rs 50 lakh. Dottin had been bought by Gujarat Giants in the WPL 2023 auction for Rs 60 lakh but was controversially withdrawn from the tournament before the start of the season. She was replaced by Kim in the Gujarat squad but the 27-year-old Aussie was among the 11 players released by the Gujarat franchise in the off season.
There are also only four players who have slotted their base price at Rs 40 lakh, including Aussie all-rounders Annabel Sutherland & Georgia Wareham, English wicket-keeper Amy Jones and veteran South African pacer Shabnim Ismail.
The five WPL franchises are allowed to sign a maximum of 30 players on their roster, with nine compulsory sports for overseas players (including those from associate nations)
On October 19, a total of sixty players, including 21 international cricketers, were retained by the five teams – Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bangalore, while 29 cricketers were released into the auction pool.
Delhi Capitals, the 2023 WPL runners-up, will enter 2024 WPL auction with a purse of Rs 2.25 crore and aim to fill up to three slots. Gujarat Giants, who released more than half of their team, have a purse of Rs 5.95 crores, the largest amongst all five teams, to fill ten vacancies.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians have up to five slots to fill with a purse of Rs 2.1 crore in the auction, while Royal Challengers Bangalore have seven vacant slots, with Rs 3.35 crores in hand. UP Warriorz will have Rs 4 crore purse at the auction to fill in five slots.
