The much-awaited Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 auction is set to kick off this Saturday, December 09, in Mumbai. Aakash Chopra, the former Indian cricketer turned commentator, has also offered his thoughts in anticipation of the auction.
The much-awaited Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 auction is set to begin place on Saturday, December 09 in Mumbai. A total of 165 players, including 61 from overseas, will be up for grabs at this blockbuster event. Notable international cricket stars like Deandra Dottin and Kim Garth boast the highest base price of INR 50 Lakh.
Former Indian cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra has also chimed in on the impending auction. He remarked that players like Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu and Barbados all-rounder Deandra Dottin, being ‘multi-dimensional,’ might trigger a bidding war among the franchises.
“I am going with Chamari Athapaththu and Deandra Dottin. Between the two, because they are multi-dimensional players. There is a unique thing actually in women’s cricket. It is not something that we see very often with men’s cricket, which is the multi-dimensional cricketing skills. I think all women are multi-taskers and most men are very uni-dimensional. So, these two,” Akash Chopra was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Interestingly, Athapaththu didn’t find any takers in last year’s auction. However, this year, she’s been in excellent T20I form, amassing 470 runs in 16 innings at an impressive average of 31.33 and a striking strike rate of 130.91. Notably, she has emerged as the leading run-scorer in Women’s ODIs in 2023, accumulating 415 runs from eight innings at an impressive average of 69.16 and a strike rate of 125.37. Her performance includes two centuries and one half-century.
Also Read: Full List Of Players Who Are Going Into WPL 2024 Auction
Therefore, it’s possible that the Sri Lankan captain might emerge as the highest-priced player in the auction. In contrast, Deandra Dottin secured a deal with Gujarat Giants for ₹60 lakh during the first edition, starting from a bidding price of ₹50 lakh. Unfortunately, she was later removed from the squad due to health reasons before the season commenced.
