India’s Mandhana fetches Rs 3.4 cr at first Women’s Premier League auction
MUMBAI,FEB 13: Several of the world’s top women cricketers earned hundreds of thousands of dollars for their services in the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction on Monday, with India’s attacking batter Smriti Mandhana leading the way on Rs 3.40 crore (USD 410,000).
The left-handed 26-year-old was the first lot on the block at the sale in Mumbai and was the object of a bidding war. Nita Ambani, who is the wife of Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani and owns the Mumbai Indians franchise, placed several bids for her services before the Royal Challengers Bangalore prevailed.
The money-spinning Indian Premier League has transformed the fortunes of cricket globally, and the women’s version could rapidly become one of the world’s biggest money-spinners in women’s sport.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came much cheaper for Mumbai Indians at nearly half the price of Mandhana at Rs 1.80 crore. Harman is also not the highest paid in her team where England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt got way more at Rs 3.20 crore.
In fact, Harmanpreet was not even among the top-six Indian buys as the second costliest player from the country so far is all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who was bought by UP Warriorz for Rs 2.6 crore.
The hard-hitting Shafali Verma and star of the T20 World Cup game against Pakistan on Sunday, Jemimah Rodrigues were picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore and Rs 2.20 crore respectively. Jemimah and Richa’s deals were also a case of recency bias as the Pakistan match on Sunday did play a big role. However, Delhi Capitals pulled off a coup by roping in one of contemporary women’s cricket’s best leaders Meg Lanning of Australia for Rs 1.10 crore.
All-rounders Pooja Vastrakar and Richa Ghosh laughed their way to the bank with Rs 1.90 crore deals offered by MI and RCB respectively.
Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner was the second most expensive player in the first batch of sales, with Gujarat Giants paying USD 387,000 for her. Royal Challengers Bangalore also bagged Ellyse Perry of Australia for USD 205,000 and Sophie Devine of New Zealand for her base price of USD 60,000. England’s Sophie Ecclestone went to UP Warriorz for USD 220,000.
The franchise rights for the five women’s teams were auctioned off in January for USD 572.5 million, while media rights for the first five seasons of the new league were sold to Viacom18 for USD 116.7 million.
The two deals made the WPL the second most valuable women’s league after the WNBA women’s basketball league, according to local media reports. The WNBA, which held its inaugural session in 1997, is reportedly valued at USD 1 billion.
A total of 449 players were up for auction on Monday but only up to 90 players will secure spots in the tournament, with the five franchises buying a maximum of 18 players each.
The WPL comes amid growing efforts to expand the women’s game globally and Australia’s Gardner said ahead of the auction that she had dreamt about the event. “That’s how much I’ve been thinking about it,” she said at the T20 World Cup in South Africa.
“I think it’s a huge moment for women’s cricket and to see that the money that’s been put into women’s cricket over in India to ultimately have that global impact.”
The WPL league will be held in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from March 4 to 26.
-The New Indian Express
