Gujarat Giants secured Punjab pacer Kashvee Gautam for a record-breaking bid of Rs 2 crore, making her the most expensive uncapped Indian player in the WPL auction. The 20-year-old, with a base price of Rs 10 lakh, attracted bids from both Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz before joining the Giants for the second edition.
In another substantial deal, UP Warriorz invested Rs 1.3 crore in 22-year-old Karnataka batter Vrinda Dinesh, who recently featured for India A against England A.
During the early stages, Australian players dominated the bids, with all-rounder Annabel Sutherland going to Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore and batter Phoebe Litchfield joining Gujarat Giants for Rs 1 crore. Sutherland, released by Gujarat Giants after the inaugural WPL edition, had interest from Mumbai Indians but eventually landed with the Capitals.
Gujarat Giants also acquired the services of the left-handed 20-year-old Australian batter Litchfield. South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail, a fast bowler, found a spot in the Mumbai Indians squad for Rs 1.20 crore, three times her base price.
However, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu, WBBL Player of the Tournament, and West Indies’ Deandra Dottin, who had a challenging experience in the previous WPL edition, went unsold. Dottin, one of the two players with a base price of Rs 50 lakh, had been replaced by Australian-Irish player Kim Garth in the Giants’ squad last year, but Garth also found no takers in this auction.
𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟓 𝐁𝐮𝐲𝐬!
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) December 9, 2023
The players who got the cash registers ringing during the #TATAWPLAuction 2024 💰@TataCompanies pic.twitter.com/xdM7KOrZm1
