The Women’s Premier League’s (WPL) first season will provide a lot of young and ambitious female cricketers with an opportunity to exhibit their abilities to the world on a prominent platform.
The Indian cricket fans and team management are hopeful that the Women’s Premier League will establish a strong basis for the improvement of women’s cricket in the country. They also aspire that the WPL can replicate the men’s IPL’s impact on the game, both in terms of financial benefits for players and the availability of top-notch players.
1. Jasia Akhtar
Jasia Akhtar has a ton of experience in domestic cricket, having played for Punjab between 2014 and 2021, where she played several match-winning innings. She has been an essential part of Rajasthan since 2021, where she was given the responsibility of opening the innings due to her aggressive batting style. During the WPL auction, she was purchased by Delhi Capitals (DC) for her base price of INR 20 lakh, making her the first cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to be selected in the auction. Her impressive recent batting performances caught the eye of franchise owners, and she is expected to be a key player in the DC squad.
2. Shweta Sehrawat
Shweta Sehrawat was expected to attract franchises at the WPL auction due to her outstanding performance for the India U-19 team in the ICC Women’s Under-19 World Cup. She was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 297 runs with three half-centuries in seven matches at an exceptional strike rate of 139.43. Sehrawat, who is only 19 years old, had set her base price at INR 10 lakh for the auction. However, given her recent batting record, UPW and DC got into a bidding war for her, which UPW ultimately won with a bid of INR 40 lakh.
3. Kiran Navgire
Kiran Navgire is an aggressive batswoman who has earned a reputation for being a destructive hitter in Indian domestic cricket. During the 2021-22 Women’s Senior T20 Trophy, she smashed 525 runs in just seven games for Nagaland, boasting an impressive strike rate of 131.25. Navgire plays a fearless and attacking brand of cricket, taking the initiative against the opposition from the very first ball. Her inclusion in a team’s batting line-up would undoubtedly provide an added boost to their firepower, making her a highly sought-after player in the upcoming player auction.
4. Shreyanka Patil
Shreyanka Patil has established herself as a rising offspinner in Karnataka, often outsmarting batters with her clever use of flight, dip, and turn. She showed her skills by taking seven wickets at a strike rate of 15.71 during the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. After that, she played for South Zone and picked up eight wickets in the zonals, which tied her for the third-most. In Karnataka’s runner-up finish in the Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, Patil had a remarkable haul of 20 wickets, which tied her for the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
5. Parshavi Chopra
Parshavi Chopra gained recognition in the cricket world for her outstanding performance in the ICC Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup, where she was the second-highest wicket-taker. She played a pivotal role in India’s U19 championship victory, taking 11 wickets in six matches at an impressive economy rate of 3.66. After her remarkable performance, UP Warriors (UPW) selected Chopra at her base price of INR 10 lakh. She is expected to be a valuable addition to the Warriors as they seek to bolster their spin attack, alongside Deepti Sharma and England’s Sophie Ecclestone.
