England's Sophie Ecclestone.
Credit: Reuters Photo
New Delhi: Not too long ago, India lifted the Women’s ODI World Cup under a deluge of confetti in Navi Mumbai, scaling an Everest after years of heartache.
Ever since, there has been an added sentimental connection among the people and their voices have reverberated through cities across the country.
On Thursday, in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega auction here at the national capital, the volume is expected to go up a notch, with 277 players — 194 Indian and 83 overseas — set to go under the hammer.
The headlines, for obvious reasons, will be taken by the notes that will be splurged. However, while franchises swipe their cards on a whim, the real challenge will be to spend wisely and invest in a group they believe will deliver returns on their investment.
Of significant interest will be Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have Rs 6.15 crore and a Right to Match card, after spending Rs 8.85 crore in retaining their captain Smriti Mandhana (Rs 3.5 crore), Richa Ghosh (Rs 2.75 crore), Ellyse Perry (Rs 2 crore) and Shreyanka Patil (Rs 60 lakh).
The need for a quality bowling arsenal is expected to dictate terms and the think tank is likely to allocate a good chunk of its financial funds to overseas spinners Sophie Ecclestone or Nonkululeko Mbala. While Bengaluru will be keen on bringing back pacer Renuka Singh, given her recent returns, they could also turn to the likes of Lauren Bell or Kranti Gaud.
On RCB’s wishlist will also be a high-profile name to partner Smriti at the top. With overseas batters such as Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Laura Wolvaardt and Phoebe Litchfield all available, Bengaluru could break their bank for one of them.
It came as no surprise that the two teams with the most retentions — Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals — came from the sides that finished in the top two in the first three editions. While a few eyebrows may have been raised after Amelia Kerr’s release by MI, the retentions did not leave room for debate with Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews. They head into the with Rs 5.75 crore in hopes of strengthening the bench, with an eye on an Indian spinner Saika Ishaque.
On the other hand, the Capitals already look great on paper, but the million-dollar question will be in filling the enormous shoes of Meg Lanning. After releasing their captain, DC will go shopping for an opener with leadership abilities and might be interested in either Healy or Wolvaardt.
Meanwhile, UP Warriorz, having retained just Shweta Sehrawat, go into the auction with the fat cheque (Rs 14.5 crore) and four RTMs and are expected to be busy during the marquee set. Having lost their way after a batting malfunction and not much help from the bowling unit last season, they are in for a complete overhaul.
Gujarat Giants will look to take a similar route after retaining Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner. With three RTMs and Rs 9 crore to spend, they will also look to snag a few from the marquee list.
While a few will go back to working harder when their name falls into the unsold category, this one promises to change the lives of every dreamer glued to their screens, again.