Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore): No WPL XI worth its name would be complete without the presence of the most expensive player in women’s franchise cricket history. At Rs 3.40 crore, Mandhana has set a new bar for financial success for the women’s game and her dependable batting at the top of the order should prove to be a valuable return on investment for RCB. Currently ranked as the third best batter in T20I, the 26-year-old will also be the one to take the reins for RCB
BCCI
Alyssa Healy (UP Warriorz): Ranked number seven in the T20I batting charts, Rs 70 lakh for the versatile wicketkeeper-batter already looks like a bargain for the UP franchise. Like most Australians in the league, Healy, 32, is a serial winner and will provide some much needed firepower at the top for her new team
ICC
Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals): At 30, Meg Lanning has already been world champion in the shortest format with Australia half a dozen times. Out of those six titles, she clinched four as captain, and will be a shoe-in to lead the Capitals, too. At Rs 1.10 crore, this is a smart deal for Delhi, who will hope that Lanning can pile up the runs while playing sheet anchor as part of their batting lineup
ICC
Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals): With a string of fabulous displays in franchise competitions in Australia and England, Rodrigues has ample credibility as a frontline performer in the shortest format of the game. At Rs 2.20 crore, she may not have come cheap for Delhi, but the 22-year-old should emerge as the fulcrum around which the Capitals and their pool of Indian talent can revolve
BCCI
Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians): The Indian skipper, bagged by MI for Rs 1.80 crore, will most likely be leading the women in blue in the WPL as well. Her batting exploits are well-documented, but it is her overall leadership and her ability to roll her arm over with the ball that might turn out to be just as important should Mumbai end up replicating the success of their men’s team in the WPL
BCCI
Richa Ghosh (Royal Challengers Bangalore): One of the brightest prospects in Indian cricket, the 19-year-old wicketkeeper batter has set the international stage alight with her explosive batting. A pivotal part of the historic U-19 T20 World Cup victory recently, Ghosh was snapped up by RCB for Rs 1.90 crore, which should pay off handsomely given her stupendous strike rate at the death
BCCI
Natalie Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians): The English all-rounder was highly sought after at the auction, and Mumbai had to cough up Rs 3.20 crore to secure her services. Her hard hitting in the end overs and her knack to pick up wickets at crucial junctures of a game ensure the 30-year-old is among the most exciting players not just for Mumbai but in the entire competition
ICC
Sneh Rana (Gujarat Giants): Currently in seventh position among T20I bowlers, the 28-year-old off-spinner joined Gujarat for Rs 70 lakh. For a team that does not have any standout Indian talent, Rana will be pivotal for Gujarat, not just with the ball but also when it comes to swinging the long handle or batting with the tail
BCCI
Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz): Hailing from Lucknow, 25-year-old Sharma will be a hometown hero for the UP franchise. Since coming into the Indian setup, she has been undroppable across formats and will be keen to live up to the billing, given her Rs 2.60 crore price tag. A sensation of late for running out non-strikers, Sharma must not be taken lightly for more conventional cricketing reasons, justified by her rank of fourth and second in the list of T20I bowlers and all-rounders, respectively
BCCI
Renuka Singh Thakur (Royal Challengers Bangalore): The latest player to be crowned as the ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year, 27-year-old Thakur is, in most people’s eyes, India’s leading pacer right now. A moniker that was reiterated with her stellar five-wicket haul against England in the ongoing T20 World Cup. RCB, who paid Rs. 1.50 crore for Thakur, will be hoping that her progress with the franchise is just as rapid as it has been with the national team
BCCI
Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz): The number one bowler at present in T20Is, Ecclestone’s slow left arm spin fetched her a healthy sum of Rs 1.70 crore at the auction. With Deepti bowling her right-arm offbreak from one end, Ecclestone will add variety and even more devastating accuracy from the other, making the 23-year-old a likely matchwinner for UP
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