Uncapped India pacer Kashvee Gautam and Australia all-rounder Annabel Sutherland walked away with the top honours at the second Women’s Premier League auction in Mumbai on Saturday.
Both attracted winning bids of Rs 2 crore each. While Gautam, the 20-year-old from Chandigarh, will turn out for Gujarat Giants, Sutherland was the most expensive overseas player with Delhi Capitals exhausting 88.8 per cent of their remaining purse of Rs 2.25 crore on her.
Gautam picked up 12 wickets in seven games at an economy rate of 4.14 in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy last month. She also played for India A in the home series against England A.
Vrinda Dinesh (Rs 1.3 crore), Shabnim Ismail (Rs 1.2 crore) and Phoebe Litchfield (Rs 1 crore) were the others with an eight-digit pay-packet.
The biggest surprise was Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu missing out for a second time running.
Some other significant exclusions were of Deandra Dottin, the former West Indies captain, and Australia all-rounder Kim Garth.
Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce was the lone Associate player picked, by Gujarat Giants at her base price of Rs 10 lakh.
Mumbai Indians went all out for Sutherland, who had a base price of Rs 40 lakh, before eventually losing out the bid to Delhi Capitals. Mumbai eventually snapped up Shabnim Ismail for Rs 1.2 crore.
Bengal wicketkeeper Aparna Mondal will turn out for Delhi Capitals for a base price of Rs 10 Lakh. She is the first player to be acquired back by the franchise after being released. UP Warriorz successfully bid for Gouher Sultana for Rs 30 lakh.
