A total of 165 players will be auctioned in the upcoming WPL auction. The auction is scheduled to take place on December 9 in Mumbai. Chamari AthapatthuWest Indies’ Deandra Dottin and South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail will be some of the biggest names to feature in the much-anticipated auction.
From India, the notable names in the auction will be Veda Krishnamurthy, S Meghana, Meghna Singh and Devika Vaidya. Out of 165 players, a maximum of only 30 players, including nine foreign players, can get WPL contracts. Out of 165 players, 104 are from India. Of the remaining 64 players, 15 are from partner countries such as Natthakan Chatham from Thailand and Tara Norris from the United States.
WPL 2024 Auction:
Deandra Dottin and Kim Garth are the only two players who have registered with the highest base price of INR 50 Lakh for the upcoming WPL auction. Dottin was originally picked by the Giants for INR 60 lakh ahead of the first season, but she pulled out just before the start of the tournament due to disputes over fitness certificates.
She was later replaced by Garth. The second highest base price is INR 40 Lakh and four players (Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham from Australia, sensation Shabnim Ismail and Amy Jones from England) have registered in this category.
Athapaththu, who is enjoying an impressive outing in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League, has been registered at the base price of INR 30 lakh. The Sri Lankan star had gone unsold at the last auction and she hoped his impressive performance in the WBBL would change her fortunes. Apart from Athapaththu, Veda Krishnamurthy, Danni Wyatt from England, Phoebe Litchfield from Australia and Lea Tahuhu from New Zealand fall in the base price category of INR 30 Lakh.
The inaugural season of the WPL was held earlier this year. A total of five teams – Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz participated in the WPL 2023. Mumbai Indians won the first edition by beating Delhi Capitals in the final. The entire tournament was held at three venues in Mumbai. According to reports, the next edition is likely to be played in more than one city.