Indian Women’s T20 League is set to become a reality as the first edition of the tournament is scheduled to take place from 4th March to 26th March. The 23 matches will be played across 17 days at two venues in Mumbai – Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium. Bengaluru, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Mumbai are five teams that will participate in the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s T20 League. In the WPL auction, a combined total of Rs 59.5 crore was spent by the franchises to acquire the target players.
S. Mandhana was the most expensive player in the auction when he was acquired by Bengaluru for a record Rs. 3.4 crore. The five franchises managed to get their targeted players in the squad. However, the franchises for the Indian Women’s T20 League didn’t fail to keep eye on young players who could be an asset to their teams. Youngsters managed to get higher bids as compared to their base price.
Here are the five top 5 expensive young players.
#1. R. Ghosh (1.9 crores)
R. Ghosh is considered one of the next big things in Indian women’s cricket. She is already known for her hard-hitting ability and is currently part of the India team in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. Ghosh was bought by the Bengaluru team for a whopping 1.9 crore, making her the most expensive buy among the young players at the WPL auction. The 19-year-old was part of the India U-19 team that won the inaugural edition of the Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa. R. Ghosh is expected one of the key players for Bengaluru in the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s T20 League. In T20Is, Ghosh has scored 549 runs at an average of 27.45 in 34 matches so far.
#2. A. Capsey (75 lakhs)
A. Capsey is one of the most expensive buys at the WPL auction. The 18-year-old was bought by the Delhi team for Rs. 75 lakhs for the upcoming season of the Indian Women’s T20 League. Capsey is one of the most talented female players in international debut and made her debut for England in July 2022. The all-rounder already has experience playing franchise-based cricket with Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League. Given her international as well as league cricket experience so far, A. Capsey is likely to be one of the plays Delhi would bank on for the team’s success in the inaugural edition of the Indian Women’s T20 League.
#3. S. Shrewat (40 Lakhs)
S. Shrewat is touted to be the upcoming star in Indian Women’s Cricket. The 18-year-old was bought by the Uttar Pradesh team for 40 lakhs for the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s T20 League. Shrewat was one of the instrumental players in helping India win the inaugural edition of the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa. Moreover, she was the highest run-scorer of the tournament with 297 runs, including three fifties, at an average of 99.00 in seven matches. S. Shrewat is definitely one of the young players to watch out for in Indian Women’s T20 League and the tournament is a perfect launching pad for her to make big in international cricket.
#4. K. Ahuja (35 Lakhs)
K. Ahuja has been one of the most surprising buys at the WPL Auction. The 20-year-old was bought by Bengaluru for 35 lakhs for the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s T20 League. Ahuja represents Punjab in women’s domestic cricket but has yet to play for India. However, she managed to receive a contract from Bengaluru for the first edition of the Indian Women’s T20 League. The all-rounder will look to knock the doors of national selectors with her performance in the tournament.
#5. T. Sadhu (25 Lakhs)
T. Sadhu is considered the next big thing in Indian Women’s Cricket. The 18-year-old was bought by the Delhi team for 25 lakhs for the first edition of the Indian Women’s T20 League. Sadhu was part of the India team that won the inaugural edition of the Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup. She played a vital role in the Final against England by scalping two wickets and conceding just 6 runs. T. Sadhu is considered the potential successor to Jhulan Goswami, who got guidance from a former India fast bowler early in her career. T. Sadhu is one of the talented players to keep eye on in the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s T20 League.
