A total of 120 players will go under the hammer at the 2025 WPL auction, set to take place on December 15 in Bengaluru, to fill 19 vacant slots. Here's a list of players to watch out for.
Deandra Dottin
After a controversial beginning that led to her missing the inaugural season and going unsold in the subsequent year, Dottin could finally land a wholesome WPL gig considering her recent form. At the T20 World Cup in the UAE, she scored 120 runs at a strike rate of 162.16, the best for any batter who faced at least 20 balls. In the WBBL that followed, she played an important role in Melbourne Renegades' title-winning run. In 11 games for them, she scored 148 runs at a strike rate of 151.02 and picked up ten wickets. Teams like Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz could benefit from having such a power-hitter in their middle order.
Lauren Bell
Released by UP Warriorz, Bell can be that X-factor seamer who can extract steep bounce even on docile decks and can also move the ball both ways. With a remodelled action this July, she picked up her first five-for in ODIs, against New Zealand. Warriorz's reliance on spinners, and the emergence of Saima Thakor, didn't allow Bell opportunities last season. While Warriorz head coach Jon Lewis did not rule out a comeback for Bell, who withdrew from WPL 2024 to prioritise her England career, Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians are likelier to go for her.
Raghvi Bist
A batter with a strong off-side game, Bist made an impression during India A's one-dayers against Australia A in August in Mackay, scoring three consecutive half-centuries, including a match-winning 53 in the third game. She was rewarded with a maiden India call-up for their home T20Is against West Indies. In domestic cricket, she has been making waves steadily. She was part of Uttarakhand's successful U-19 Women's One-Day campaigns in 2021 and 2022, and was also part of their run to the final in the Senior Women's One-Day Trophy earlier this year. Last month, she smashed a 51-ball 71 in the final of the T20 Challenger Trophy to help her side to the title.
Tanisha Singh
Tanisha Singh, 21, showed a glimpse of her batting potential when she blasted 94 off just 50 balls for Delhi against Assam in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy in October. In the 50-over version, she was the fifth-highest run-getter, with 359 runs in seven innings at an average of 71.80 and a strike rate of 104.97. She also bowls offspin and can deceive batters with her pace variations and flight, a skill that was on display when she took five wickets in four games at the Delhi Premier League (DPL) this year. She also finished as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament with 121 runs. Tanisha was also instrumental in Delhi's unbeaten run to the title in the Under-23 women's tournament in January.
G Kamalini
A promising teenager from Tamil Nadu, Kamalini is primed for an Under-19 World Cup berth in Malaysia early next year. A hard-hitter, she was instrumental in Tamil Nadu winning the U-19 domestic tournament in October, hitting 311 runs in eight matches. She followed that up by top-scoring with 79 in the Under-19 tri-series final for India B against South Africa A. That form earned her a berth in India's squad for the Under-19 Asia Cup next week. Kamalini, who can keep wicket and also bowl spin, trains at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai.
Pratika Rawal
A psychology student who started playing cricket at the age of ten, Rawal, two years Tanisha's senior at Delhi, first came into the spotlight in 2021 when she hit an unbeaten 161 off 155 balls to take Delhi into the knockouts of the domestic one-day competition. Earlier this year, she captained Delhi in their unbeaten run to the Under-23 T20 Trophy final, where she finished as the second-highest run-getter (182 runs) for her side behind Tanisha. She also made a smooth transition into the senior Delhi team. Pratika's improved power game, which was on view at the DPL, earned plaudits from state coaches and scouts. On Friday, she was named in India's ODI squad for the West Indies series.