Kochi, Oct 27 (PTI) Capped Indian and international cricketers will be the biggest draws among the 146 players who will go under the hammer during the Women’s Premier League (WPL) mini-auction here on Wednesday.
India wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini, all-rounder Sneh Rana, middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis, Australian captain Sophie Molineux,
England’s Sophia Dunkley and Australian all-rounder Grace Harris will be among the top players to come up for bidding.
The 16-year-old Mumbai batter Ira Jadhav, who smashed 346 off 157 balls for Mumbai against Meghalaya in the Women’s Under-19 One-Day tournament last year, might attract strong bidding from the five teams, despite being in the uncapped section.
The five teams — Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals — have 27 spots to fill during the auction and 20 of which are reserved for Indians.
“I think Indian wicketkeepers like Kamalini, especially, will be in demand, with quite a few teams looking for them. Of course, Sophie Molineux is a big name to look forward to, given the kind of experience she brings,” former India player Veda Krishnamurthy told JioStar.
The Warriorz have the biggest purse going into the auction with Rs 3.75 crore, followed by Gujarat Giants (Rs 1.25 crore).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have Rs 1.15 crore left in the bank, while Delhi Capitals’ account has Rs 1.10 crore.
Mumbai Indians have the smallest purse, at Rs 90 lakh.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants, the three teams that qualified for the WPL 2026 playoffs, retained most of their core players and needed to fill only a few slots.
Defending champions RCB will have their ace all-rounder Ellyse Perry available for the season. Therefore, they will be on the lookout for local backups who can help them lift a landmark third title.
The fifth season of the WPL will take place from January 14 to February 7, 2027. PTI UNG PDS
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