With the team names and the broadcasters officially confirmed, it’s just a matter of time before the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League kicks off and marks the beginning of a new chapter in women’s cricket in India.
There’s just one small step that is left to be followed before the action kicks off next month, right after the T20 World Cup — that of the all-important player auction, that is set to take place on 13 February.
While the BCCI did get some of the top female cricketers from across the world together in the Women’s T20 Challenge that took place between 2018 and 2022, it felt more like an exhibition tournament, and not the women’s version of the IPL that had long been in demand.
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By formally announcing the WPL and unveiling its participating franchises, the BCCI has ensured the women’s game too gets its fair share of the glitz and glam that has become part of the IPL’s identity over the years along with exciting on-field action.
Ahead of the auction for the inaugural WPL, we take a look at some of the top players from across the world who could force franchises to break the bank:
Harmanpreet Kaur, India
Harmanpreet Kaur’s career, which began in 2009, coincided with the Indian team’s steady rise in the past decade, and ever since she took over the reins of Women in Blue from the legendary Mithali Raj, she has become the face of a side brimming with confidence, not afraid to take the challenge to the opposition even if it means taking on the mighty Aussies in their own backyard.
Her leadership skills certainly make her among the most sought-after players in the auction. But it’s also her ability to produce game-changing knocks, the most prominent example of which is her unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 2017 World Cup semi-final, as well as her top-notch fielding skills that help her stand out from the rest.
And Kaur, who in 2016 became the first Indian to play in an overseas T20 league by joining the WBBL, knows a thing or two about winning T20 league titles, having captained the Supernovas to three Women’s T20 Challenge titles.
Smriti Mandhana, India
There are few batters who look more elegant and are as consistent in collecting runs across a variety of conditions in the current era than Smriti Mandhana, who might give Harmanpreet some competition when it comes to being the face of the India women’s cricket team, given popularity across the cricketing world besides her wide array of skills. The southpaw is among the leading run-scorers in the women’s game with nearly 6,000 international runs to her credit.
And like Harmanpreet, Mandhana too has established herself as a leader, having led Trailblazers to the Women’s T20 Challenge title in 2020 besides leading the Women in Blue on several occasions.
Shafali Verma, India
Dashing opener Shafali Verma is one of the most entertaining and fearless players in the modern game; it doesn’t matter if you’re a Katherine Brunt or a Megan Schutt or an Ellyse Perry steaming down from one end, Verma will smack you from ball one with utter disdain.
The Rohtak native, whose watershed moment came in the form of stupendous run in the 2020 T20 World Cup, recently captained the Indian team to victory in the inaugural Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup, the achievement of which should land her a leadership gig in the WPL besides fetching her the big bucks.
Ellyse Perry, Australia
Few players define the women’s game the way Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry does; not only could she be considered the face of women’s cricket in the current generation, she will also go down as one of the greatest to have ever graced the sport, male or female.
While Perry had suffered a slump in the shortest format last year, she bounced back in style during Australia’s five-match T20I series in India, in which the star all-rounder finished the second-highest run-scorer (165; average: 82.50; SR: 160.19), a performance that will no doubt be fresh in the minds of the franchise owners if her stature alone isn’t enough to attract a top bid.
Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa
Attacking South African opener Laura Wolvaardt has made quite the reputation for herself as far as getting the Proteas off to quick starts is concerned, and is among the most consistent run-scorers both for her country as well as in the multiple leagues that she’s part of. Wolvaardt, who represented South Africa in the recently-concluded triangular T20 series featuring India and West Indies, finished among the top three run-scorers in the Women’s T20 Challenge, The Hundred and in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL).
Deandra Dottin, West Indies
A consistent run-scorer at the top of the order who also comes in handy when it comes to sending down overs or getting breakthroughs besides being an absolute livewire on the field, West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin is the whole package and should attract a bidding war for her services. Dottin, who had retired from international cricket last year but remains an active part of the T20 league circuit, had recently enjoyed a fine run of form for the Tahlia McGrath-led Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL recently, starring in the final against two-time champions Sydney Sixers in which she was adjudged the Player of the Match for her all-round display (52 not out; 2/30).
Sophie Ecclestone, England
A regular in the top 10 as far as ICC’s bowler’s rankings goes, who currently happens to be the No 1 bowler in both ODIs as well as T20Is, Sophie Ecclestone has charted a meteoric rise ever since she broke into the English team as a 17-year-old in 2016. Ecclestone played a key role for England in the 2018 and 2020 T20 World Cups — collecting eight wickets in the latter at an economy of 3.23 — and has also featured in a number of leagues across the world, including the Women’s T20 Challenge where she represented Supernovas and Trailblazers.
Amelia Kerr, New Zealand
A 17-year-old Amelia Kerr took the cricketing world by storm in the summer of 2018 by smashing an unbeaten 232 against Ireland, breaking the record for the highest ODI individual score in women’s cricket and also becoming the youngest cricketer, male or female, to score an ODI double-hundred. Since then, not only has Kerr established herself as a destructive top-order batter, but she’s proven just as useful with the ball — she has snared 132 international wickets with her leg spin. Her all-round skills, thus, make her an invaluable asset not only for the White Ferns, but to franchises such as Brisbane Heat (WBBL), London Spirit (Hundred), Velocity (WT20C).
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