The math looks like Rs 60 crores for a maximum of 90 players on February 13, which may go down in history as the date that changed women’s cricket as we know it. In the hope of assembling a team capable of winning the Women’s Premier League (WPL) a month from now, representatives from five franchises will gather for the inaugural auction in Mumbai’s World Convention Centre.
Before that, we take a look at the ten players who can spark bidding wars:
10. Deandra Dottin :
It could be considered a travesty that a list of potential big-money buys in an auction of a franchise T20 event does not include any players from the Caribbean. Deandra Dottin, a charismatic all-rounder for the West Indies, is keeping us from making a mistake.
9. Nat Sciver-Brunt :
It seems like just yesterday that Nat Sciver-Brunt became the first English cricketer to pick a T20I hat-trick. Not because it has only happened once in the past decade, but because she continues to impress for the Three Lions.
8. Marizanne Kapp :
Marizanne Kapp of South Africa is the only member of our chosen ten who did not compete in the Women’s T20 Challenge. She is a player from the same generation and possesses characteristics that are comparable to those of Devine. Having said that, she has extensive franchise T20 experience, having played for the Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Women’s Big Bash League and the Oval Invincibles in England’s The Hundred Women.
7. Sophie Devine :
An all-rounder from New Zealand, Sophie Devine, and Amelia Kerr are comparable in this regard, with the exception that the former began her international career a full decade earlier and is currently one of the most experienced players on the circuit.
6. Amelia Kerr :
Amelia Kerr may appear to be a novice in comparison to our two Australian mentions solely on the basis of her age and experience. However, the numbers of this 22-year-old New Zealand prodigy all-rounder are not novice-like.
5. Alyssa Healy :
This name will ring a bell even if you don’t like the game. Alyssa Healy’s scintillating 75-run victory over the Indians in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2019 final broke a billion hearts. She took the game away from the Indians in 39 deliveries.
4. Ellyse Perry :
starting Ellyse Perry has been a long-time advocate for the WPL and made her debut before the first ball of the IPL was bowled. The five franchises will unquestionably dream of the inspirational Australian all-rounder wearing their jerseys when her dream finally comes true.
3. Deepti Sharma :
Deepti Sharma is a trailblazer not because she played for the same team in the Women’s T20 Challenge, but rather because she has consistently set trends that others can discuss and follow.
2. Smriti Mandhana :
Smriti Mandhana, with the exception of Kaur, leads the long list of potential captains for the inaugural WPL. Even calling her the cliched backbone, a pillar in the Indian batting department, or a pillar in the Indian batting department may misunderstand her crucial role.
1. Harmanpreet Kaur :
It was certain that the tournament would be a spectacle to behold as Richard Madlee struck his hammer on the table to announce that Mahendra Singh Dhoni had just been sold to Chennai Super Kings for USD 1.5 million. However, it’s possible that the other seven franchises were unable to appreciate the significance of that spectacular moment, which helped CSK become one of the competition’s most successful teams.