Bengaluru:The anticipation got palpable inside the auction room, the teams geared up and got their thinking hats on as one by one the player names started to pour out of the pot. 19 slots to fill at the max, including 5 overseas slots and the teams have an overall purse of INR 16.7 cr remaining to form their squads.
West Indies player Deandra Dottin became the first buy of the ongoing Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 here on Sunday, December 15, 2024. UP Warriorz (UPW) and Gujarat Giants(GG) were locked in an intense battle to pick up Dottin which could be her first WPL after going unsold in the first two auctions. However, it was the Gujarat Giants who signed the West Indies all-rounder for Gujarat Giants as they locked in a bid of a whopping ₹1.7 Crore.
Danielle Gibson was the next player up for auction, but no team showed any interest in her on the opening bid of INR 30 lakhs and became the first player to go unsold in this year's auction.
South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, who played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) last year, went to Mumbai Indians for the base price of ₹30 lakh.
India's Poonam Yadav, West Indies' Chinelle Henry, England spinner Sarah Glenn, Maia Boucher, Australia allrounder Heather Graham, England seamer Lauren Bell, Australia's Darcie Brownand England captain Heather Knight joined Gibson in the unsold player list.
The uncapped set continued to shine with talent, and Simran Shaikh was the latest player to draw attention in the auction. There was an intense battle between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Giants swiftly responded, raising the bid to ₹1.7 crore. Undeterred, Delhi counters with an offer of ₹1.8 crore. Delhi Capitals simply lacked the firepower to match Gujarat Giants' purse of money, and Simran Shaikh became the new addition to the Gujarat side, getting jaw-dropping ₹1.9 crore!
G Kamalini, the talented wicketkeeper-batter from Tamil Nadu, came as the first uncapped player in the auction, with both Mumbai and Delhi vying for her services. Ultimately, Mumbai Indians emerge victorious, securing her for ₹1.6 crore, marking a significant milestone in Kamalini’s career.
Kamalini showcased her potential in 2023, amassing an impressive 311 runs to lead Tamil Nadu to victory in the U-19 T20 Trophy. She further solidified her reputation with a brilliant knock of 79 in the U-19 tri-series final against South Africa for India 'B', earning a well-deserved place in India's squad for the inaugural U-19 Asia Cup in Malaysia.
Prema Rawat, the leg-spinning all-rounder from Uttarakhand made a great payday for herself as RCB pick her up for ₹1.2cr after a tussle with the other teams!
N. Charani, another all-rounder who bowls orthodox left-arm spin was picked up buy the Capitals for ₹55 lakh, outbidding Mumbai Indians.
