February 13, 2023 was an eventful day in the Indian cricketing calendar as the Women’s Premier League auction took place at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre. Smriti Mandhana, Ashleigh Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues made huge gains from their respective franchises and ended up becoming the most expensive players on show. Since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting the start of the tournament next month, which will officially kick off with a grand opening ceremony. The BCCI have also released the WPL schedule for all to see, so everyone is now wondering who will take the league by storm among this superstar lineup of international players.
Players like the Indian Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, South Africa’s best-ever allrounder, Marizanne Kapp, and the Sri Lankan opening batter Chamari Athapaththu were expected to be among top players picked at the recently held Women’s Cricket League auction. Despite their proven track record, these superstars were unsold in the auction as they failed to make it to any WPL squad. This might be a surprise for cricket fans who have been following these women cricketers’ performances for some time now. Analysing their potential and ability, one can only imagine what impact they would have had on each team if they were acquired by a side before the T20 World Cup began. It could be said with utmost confidence that their absence is obvious in the league which could actually have changed the whole scenario of WPL 2020 had they been part of it anyhow.
Ayabonga Khaka
Ayabonga Khaka is one of the most experienced players in South Africa’s national squad, having been active in the international circuit since 2012. Her bowling performances throughout the years have led her to win a large number of games for her team, amassing a total of 47 wickets across 49 matches at an impressive economy rate of 6.28 in T20 Internationals. Over the past few years she has added league cricket to her repertoire with stints with Supernovas and Velocity in the Women’s T20 Challenge and Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League. Despite all these accomplishments, however, unfortunately she went without a buyer in the 2023 WPL player auction.
Priya has shown her sheer brilliance in the recent Women’s T20 World Cup and earned accolades from one and all. Her performance, which included a brilliant haul of 4/29 in the crucial semi-final game against England, is sure to leave the WPL franchises jittery. Seven wickets in four matches at a solid economy rate of 5.33 is surely an indication that she can make for a destructive asset for any team in the WPL and scripts within hitting distance are also on the horizon.
Lea Tahuhu
Lea Tahuhu is known for her remarkable medium-fast bowling talents and has been a valuable member of the New Zealand national team since making her T20I debut in 2011. She was included in the 2017 ICC Women’s T20 Team of the Year, highlighting just how far she had come in such a short space of time. Over six seasons and 70 matches in the WBBL, she has an impressive 57 wickets at an economy rate of 6.12, while she also competes in England’s The Hundred Competition (Women) for the Manchester Originals. At the 2021 WPL auction, she made sure not to go unnoticed with a base price of INR 30 lakh. With her skill set and long list of accomplishments, Tahuhu remains one of the most accomplished bowlers in world cricket today.
The absence of Lea Tahuhu from the recent Women’s T20 League auction was a surprise to many given her proven potential. Despite having a stellar record where she is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in four games of the competition, with 8 scalps at an astounding economy of 6.33, the 32year-old went unnoticed by all the franchises. Her great experience and achievements could have secured her a huge sum had she been sold, but it wasn’t meant to be. With a history like this, there is no doubt that we will be seeing great exploits from Lea Tahuhu in the upcoming seasons.
Suzie Bates
Suzie Bates is an incredible batter in Women’s T20 Internationals and has achieved remarkable success since 2006 when she broke into international cricket and made a name for herself in the national squad. The stylish Kiwi opener holds the record for being the highest run-scorer in T20 Internationals with a total of 3,820 runs on the board that includes one ton and 25 half-centuries. Bates owns an impressive strike rate of 109.70 from 143 games played. She recently participated in the WPL auction with her base price set at INR 30 lakh, her extensive experience contributing largely to her favour. Bates has added immense value to her resume due to her remarkable performances in different leagues such as WBBL and The Hundred Competition, consequently making her among favourites to fetch a contract with good money.
Despite a standout performance in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup, much to everyone’s surprise Rebecca did not get selected in the 2023 Player Auction. Her impressive stats – amassing 137 runs at a strike rate of 121.23 and becoming the highest run-scorer for her team – went unnoticed as all franchises overlooked her despite several inclusions of other players with equal or lesser talent. While she was performing extraordinarily on the field, her career trajectory seemed to take a different direction off the field.
Laura Wolvaardt
Laura Wolvaardt has had an incredible journey with the South African team in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup final, amassing a total of 169 runs in five games and being the fourth-highest scorer of the tournament. Her impressive strike rate of 100.69 and half-century against England were fundamental to her team’s success in making it to the final round. Earlier this month at the WPL Player Auction, her base price was set at INR 30 lakh but was unfortunately left unsold despite her undoubted skill and promise as a player. Yet with South Africa, Wolvaardt remains unwavered at the opening position, ready to make those vital starts that fire up the team throughout their run for ultimate glory.
South African batter Lizelle Lee has enjoyed a brilliant start to her international career with impressive performances in the Women T20Is and recently, she played an important role for Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL wherein she became the highest run-scorer for her team. She has appeared in 52 WT20Is so far and already scored 1,018 runs with six half-centuries. During the WBBL tournament, she managed to give impressive numbers of 403 runs at a striking rate of 106.05 in 16 matches including one half-century which ultimately helped her team to land their first title successfully.
Tazmin Brits
At the WPL auction, Tazmin Brits was seemingly forgotten by the franchises, but she graced the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup with her incredible batting. With two fifties in five matches, she has scored 176 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 108.64 and is currently ranked right behind Nat Sciver-Brunt as the second-highest run-getter of the tournament. Her best performance came in the semi-final match against England which saw her emerge as the Player of the Match for her match-winning knock of 68 runs (55 deliveries). Through her astonishing performance she has demonstrated masterful batting technique and proved that if given an opportunity she will not hesitate to deliver scintillating innings unconditionally.
The WPL Player Auction was an event that had the entire sports community buzzing, and for South Africa opener Tanvi Aggarwal, it should have been a golden opportunity to make her mark in the world of women’s cricket. Unfortunately, Mallika Sagar’s announcement of Aggarwal’s inclusion in the second round of the auction was not met with enthusiasm. Despite her impressive capabilities as an opener, none of the franchises were prepared to pay attention to her skillset and pick her up at the base price of INR 30 lakhs. She ended up being one amongst the many players who failed to seal a deal in the inaugural edition of the WPL.
