New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Former India women’s cricket captain Anjum Chopra felt Australian all-rounder Grace Harris was an absolute “steal” at the WPL auction, with UP Warriorz securing her for just Rs 30 lakh, while expressing surprise at the low prices fetched by Sneh Rana and Gunalan Kamalini.
Chopra also said she would like to see a new team emerge as champion in the upcoming season, believing that a change of winners would help the growth of the Women’s Premier League.
Grace and Sneh were bought by UP Warriorz for Rs 30 lakh each, while Kamalini was sold to Gujarat Giants for Rs 40 lakh at the WPL auction held in Kochi on Wednesday.
“Grace Harris was the only one which I felt was an absolute steal. I think Grace could have fetched a higher price. Thirty lakhs, I thought, is a very nice buy for UP Warriorz because obviously she brings more than one skill to the fore; she is multi-talented,” Anjum told PTI in an exclusive Zoom interview on Saturday.
Anjum was also surprised to see Kamalini and Sneh Rana being sold at relatively low prices.
“Kamalini going to Gujarat at a much lower price is also a nice buy, considering where she was to where she is now. But again, Kamalini is a very young player. She is just about getting started in the senior format of the game. So, she has many, many, hopefully, very, very good years ahead of her.
“Sneh Rana actually went unsold in the first round. So, you rarely expect that if a player goes unsold in the first round and comes back in the second or third round later on, they will fetch a lot of money,” Anjum observed.
Asked how the teams shaped up after the mini-auction, the former India captain said she believed all franchises had managed to put together their preferred combinations.
“Everybody has picked their best team. So, it’s not that players were unavailable or the teams did not have an option of picking players. I think everybody — every coach or support staff member we heard from — came out and said they are very happy with how the auction went for them.
“So, you have to take their word for it. Everybody retained the players they wanted to retain. They released those players and then they had the option of buying them back. I mean, from an outside perspective, I would feel that if the management is happy with their team choices, then let’s wait for the competition to begin.”
Anjum said she would like to see a new team lift the trophy, as that would benefit the growth of the competition.
“On paper, they all look very good. But there can only be one champion and we’ve only seen two champions so far in the four seasons of the WPL. At the end of the day, obviously, I want the trophy to go to different dressing rooms for the growth of the championship as well.
“It’s not that Mumbai won’t want to win another one or RCB won’t want to defend it. But eventually, another franchise will get to win it. Whether it happens this season or next season, we don’t know. At the end of the day, the game should grow. And if you are able to get those competitive matches, the audience is entertained. They will come to the stadium. And of course, the women’s game will reach more audiences around the world as well.”
Asked whether she would like to see more franchises being added to the league in the coming seasons, Anjum said she was happy with the existing five-team format, which allowed for greater competitiveness.
“As of now, I think the five-team league is very good. Matches need to be very competitive. And one also needs to understand how much homegrown talent we have to offer when you create another team. So, when you are creating another team, you obviously need about 14-15 more domestic players who are good enough to compete at this level.
“There are players. It’s not that they are not. But when you are talking about franchise cricket, you need a completely well-oiled and well-gelled setup. Or at least close to that,” she concluded. PTI SR
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