The uncapped Indian players grabbed headlines as they fetched big money at the Women's Premier League [WPL] 2025 auction held in Bengaluru.
Simran Shaikh, the Mumbai allrounder, turned out to be the biggest buy on auction day with Gujarat Giants picking her up for INR 1.9 crore (USD 223,000 approx). Mumbai Indians meanwhile picked up 16-year-old Tamil Nadu batter G Kamalini for INR 1.60 crore (USD 190,000 approx) while Uttarakhand legspinner Prema Rawat went to Royal Challengers Bengaluru for INR 1.2 crore (USD 140,000 approx).
Among the overseas players, West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin raked in the most money. She was the first name out of the bag on auction day and was snapped up for INR 1.7 crore (USD 200,000 approx) by Gujarat Giants, incidentally the same team that had controversially excluded her after the first season.
With most of the squads already set, a total of 19 players were sold among the 124 that went under the hammer, of which five were overseas names. Each of Mumbai, Delhi Capitals, Giants, and RCB picked four players, while UP Warriorz made just three buys.
Shaikh has played in the tournament before while this will be Kamalini and Rawat's first WPL rodeo. Shaikh was part of the Warriorz side in 2023 where she returned just 29 runs in seven innings. She entered the auction at a base price of INR 10 lakh which swelled thanks to the bidding war between Giants and Capitals.
"We've been watching the local competitions closely, the T20s and the Challengers. She stands out in terms of her hitting power and strike rate, and complements the other local Indian players [we've got in the squad]," Giants head coach Klinger said. "To have someone like her, potentially in our top six-seven, who can hit sixes straightaway, completes us. We were targeting her."
Shaikh scored 176 runs in nine innings at the 2024 senior women's T20 trophy at a strike rate of 100.57.
Kamalini also entered the auction at a base price of INR 10 lakh. She had earlier in the day scored an unbeaten 29-ball 44 to guide India to a nine-wicket win in their opening game of the Under-19 women's Asia Cup against Pakistan. Rawat, 23, is a promising legspinner for Uttarakhand. She put in impressive performances for Mussoorie Thunders during the inaugural Uttarakhand Premier League and is also known to be an outstanding fielder.
Among the unsold bunch, the most surprising names were of India spinner and former Giants captain Sneh Rana, England seamer Lauren Bell, England captain Heather Knight and former South Africa opener Lizelle Lee. No Indian capped player was sold at the auction with only the uncapped and overseas players getting bids.
RCB made four bids - all on uncapped players - while Mumbai got Nadine de Klerk for INR 30 lakh (USD 40,000 approx). Capitals' most expensive pick of the day was the uncapped bowler Shree Charani, who they picked for INR 55 lakh (USD 70,000 approx), while they also bought wicketkeeper-batters Nandini Kashyap and Sarah Bryce.
"Very good auction for us to be honest," Sourav Ganguly, Capitals' director of cricket, said after the auction. "I've been with this WPL team for two seasons now, watching them closely, involved in the auction and everything. And we are far stronger squad than we were last year, with Nandini and Sarah in the squad now, we are looking very good."
Warriorz meanwhile got Australia legspinner Alana King late in the accelerated round of the auction while Giants also signed England allrounder Danielle Gibson.
Players bought at the WPL 2025 auction
Delhi Capitals: Shree Charani, Nandini Kashyap, Sarah Bryce (Scotland), Niki Prasad
Gujarat Giants: Simran Shaikh, Deandra Dottin (WI), Danielle Gibson (Eng), Prakashika Naik
Mumbai Indians: G Kamalini, Nadine de Klerk (SA), Akshita Maheshwari, Sanskriti Gupta
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Prema Rawat, Joshitha JV, Raghvi Bist, Jagravi Pawar
UP Warriorz: Alana King (Aus), Arushi Goel, Kranti Goud