By BD Naraayannkar
Mumbai, Dec 9 (UNI) The auction for the second Women's Premier League came to an end here on Saturday, but not before the franchise owners showered good money on many players, including Australia's Annabel Sutherland and uncapped India player Kashvee Gautam who hit headlines.
The duo raked in a moolah of Rs 2 crore each from Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants, respectively. An uncapped Vrinda Dinesh also breached bank by getting a big purse after her stellar stint in the domestic circuit.
Kashvee holds records in the women's circuit as she enjoys a hat-trick in her name for Chandigarh against Arunachal Pradesh in an U19 one-day match.
She also held her sway in this year's Women's Senior T20 Trophy as she bagged 12 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 4.14 runs per over. The Chandigarh star also tested herself in the Hong Kong ACC Emerging tournament with Team India as well.
Delhi Capitals outbid Mumbai Indians for Sutherland as they bought the Australia allrounder for Rs 2 crore in a fierce competition. The Aussie, who had a very good campaign in the Women's Big Bash League, became the second-most expensive Australia player to be sold at a WPL auction.
In the recently-concluded Women's BBL, Sutherland bagged 23 wickets and scored 288 runs for Melbourne Stars.
Aged 22 years, Sutherland has made quite an impression at the domestic and international level. She brings to the table her allround capabilities with bat and ball.
Sutherland's cricketing career began at a very raw age when she became the youngest women's cricketer to feature in the WBBL for Melbourne Renegades at the age of 15.
She showcased her talent from the very start, and quickly became a key player for the Melbourne Stars, her current WBBL team.
Sutherland's international statistics are also impressive, with a hundred each in Women's Tests and Women's ODI. She also has played for Australia in all the three formats of the game, including at the prestigious 2020 T20 World Cup.
Vrinda was bought by UP Warriorz for a record bid of Rs 1.3 crore after a fierce bidding war with two other franchisees. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Giants triggered the bidding war. But, UP Warriorz jumped into the fray after the bid price shot up past Rs 80 lakh.
RCB put themselves off, which paved the way for UP Warriorz to buy the 22 years old Vrinda for Rs 1.3 crore.
Over the last two years, Vrinda has been making a significant impression in the women's circuit. By chance, she earned a call-up after fast bowler S Yashasri sustained an injury.
She immediately hit the headlines in the final of the U23 ACC Emerging Teams Cup as she hit a handy 29-ball 36, helping India Emerging team to post 127/7, which was enough as Bangladesh fell short by 31 runs on a sluggish pitch. She got this match as Muskan Malik's kit did not arrive on time.
Earlier this year, Vrinda played a key role in Karnataka's journey to the final of the Senior Women's one-day competition as she showcased her batting skills. Throughout the season, the Karnataka star finished as the third-highest run-getter by scoring 477 runs from 11 innings, including an impressive 81 in the semifinal against Rajasthan.
Vrinda's consistent contributions highlight her growing influence and skill in the women's cricket scene, making her a standout player in Karnataka's lineup.
Mumbai Indians scripted a new trend among the franchisees by completing their overseas quota without a single Australia player as they bought South African star Shabnim Ismail. In the last edition, they had just signed up Heather Graham who was released without a game.
The franchisee preferred Shabnim over Sutherland to fix their death-over problems, and unsurprisingly raised the paddle the moment her name was announced for the auction. They held back on Sutherland after a certain amount in a fierce bidding war with Delhi Capitals.
Sutherland became the day's most expensive overseas bid, despite having a poor show in the last edition playing for Gujarat Giants. But of late, the Aussie seam-bowling allrounder hit form in recent months. So, probably DC coach Jonathan Batty and Captain Meg Lanning must have seen the devil in her to add spice.
While the limelight was hogged by some players, the fans will miss the skillful batting Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, even though she is a good form for Sri Lanka.
Deandra Dottin of the West Indies also did not find any takers because of a controversy surrounding her Rs 60 lakh contract with Gujarat Giants. A debate had sparked when she was absent from the WPL auction where her base price was Rs 50 lakh.
Powerfully-built, Dottin excels in fielding and bowling, and known for powerful hitting, and has scored 2,629 runs, including a T20I century and 62 international wickets.
Devika Vaidya, who had an underpar WPL 2023 after betting Rs 1.40 crore bid for UP Warriorz, was not picked by any franchise in today's auction. She had a base price of Rs 30 lakh.
However, Vaidya came up with some good performances for Maharashtra in this year's Senior Women's T20 Trophy by snapping up 11 wickets from six matches, and nine wickets in the Inter-zonal T20 Trophy.
English batswoman Danni Wyatt will make her debut in the WPL after UP Warriorz purchased her for the base price of Rs 30 lakh. Her purchase is an interesting story as she had gone unsold in the last WBBL auction.
She picked up the gauntlet, and since then she notched up three half centuries in T20 internationals, including a 75 against India at the Wankhede Stadium last week.
The 32 years old England cricketer will also bring with her years of experience, being one of only three female cricketers, apart from Harmanpreet Kaur and Suzie Bates, to play more than 150 T20 internationals.
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