WPL: Women cricketers bask in the big buy
For 87 women cricketers, 57 of them Indian, nine of them from the recently crowned India U-19 World Cup champions side, February 13 proved a transformational day as ₹59.50 crore were splashed at the first ever Women’s Premier League (WPL) player auction in Mumbai.
It was expected to be a day of many firsts. Women’s cricket has never had a league with such spending power. It’s befitting that the first name that was picked in a draw of lots – India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana – also ended up as the highest priced player of the day, fetching ₹3.4 crore from Royal Challengers Bangalore’s ₹12 crore player purse.
Mandhana incidentally wears the No 18 jersey for India, the same as RCB legend Virat Kohli. The Indian team in South Africa, hours after kicking off their T20 World Cup campaign successfully against Pakistan, were watching the auction unfold in a team room. Whistling, hooting and encouraging her bid to stretch further, the bidding for Mandhana was cheered all the way through until the RCB-Mumbai Indians bidding war was won by the Bengaluru franchise.
“For 10 years we have been glued watching the men’s auction. It’s a big moment for women’s cricket,” Mandhana told the host broadcaster. “RCB has a great legacy. I hope to together build the fanbase.”
The Indian team stayed together and watched the action all the way through, cheering for those team mates who had a life-changing pay-day; also for those whose valuation fell prey to auction dynamics.
That’s not why Harmanpreet Kaur went for ₹1.8 crore (Mumbai Indians), what many felt was not a price tag befitting her stature as India captain. As many as nine players, six of them Indian, got more money. There have been enough past examples of player reputations being disregarded in IPL auctions. Kaur’s middling form may have been the reason behind franchises showing greater interest in younger players and bigger overseas names.
All-rounder Deepti Sharma, 25, was picked up by UP Warriorz for a whopping ₹2.6 crore. Batter Jemimah Rodrigues, fresh off her unbeaten knock against Pakistan, was picked up by Delhi Capitals for ₹2 crore. “It may have been a disappointment for some. Others may have gone for higher bids. That’s what auction is about. You are pretty much betting and guessing,” said Mithali Raj, former India captain and now Gujarat Giants mentor.
“We are particularly happy with Deepti Sharma as she is from Agra and has a UP connect,” UP Warriorz owner Rajesh Sharma said.
For overseas all-rounders Ashley Gardner from Australia and England’s Natalie Sciver, their combined gains amounted to ₹6.4 crore. That is more than the total team purse in Women’s Big Bash League and Hundred – short-format leagues that have been in existence for much longer.
“It’s not just about the money,” said Raj. “A lot of the conversation I have with overseas players, their maximum following is from Asia. They will have their own fan base. And because of IPL, WPL is also expected to carry the same reputation.”
Each franchise were allowed to buy up to six overseas players in their squad. As many as 14 of the 30 maximum permissible overseas slots were filled by Australians, multiple World Cup winners.
Three of the five franchises also own IPL teams. Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal admitted that used to splurging on the IPL auction table, they needed to recalibrate. “The budget is the budget and we are looking at it as the percentage of the purse. That’s the beauty of the auction. If you get it wrong, you get it wrong and your team suffers,” he said.
“I am a follower of women’s cricket, but apart from Indian players and a couple of legendary players from other teams, I did not know many names. I felt like a standard 10 student trying to learn the entire year’s syllabus in the last nine days. It’s the same for everyone.”
Expressing satisfaction on the day’s events which would have far-reaching impact on women’s cricket valuations, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said, “I had complete faith in WPL. This is the first time in history that team valuations are more than broadcast valuations.”
Seven English players were bought, along with four South Africans, two New Zealanders, two from West Indies and one American. In the absence of enough scientific data in women’s cricket, teams relied heavily on scouting programmes and human know-how on the auction table. As many as 20 players went for more ₹1 crore or more.
