The Women’s Premier League 2023 auction took place on Monday and a total of f Rs. 59.50 crores was invested on 87 players from an overall pool of 409 players. It was a historic day for women’s cricket as India’s explosive opener Smriti Mandhana got the highest bid of 3.4 Cr from the Royal Challengers Bangalore.






Mandhana with the rest of her Indian colleagues watched the auction from South Africa post their win on Sunday against Pakistan.





It was also their families who reacted on a historic day. India pacer Renuka Singh Thakur’s family watched the auction on mobile from her hometown Shimla and celebrated when the 27-year-old got a 1.9 Cr successful deal from RCB.






Richa Ghosh’s parents and brother also followed the auction and were elated when the swashbuckling batter went for 1.9 Cr to RCB.


“All my parents wanted me to achieve was to play for India. I want to captain my team and win a major trophy for India. I want to buy a flat in Kolkata. I want my mother and father to settle down there. I want them to enjoy their life now. They have struggled a lot in their life, and they have worked hard a lot for me. Even now, my father does umpire. After the auction, I hope he doesn’t have to work so hard,” Richa told Sports 18.






India’s all-rounder Deepti Sharma also secured a wholesome bid of 2.6 Cr from UP Warriorz. Other crucial buys were Jemimah Rodrigues (2.2 Cr to Delhi Capitals), Shafali Verma (2 Cr to Delhi Capitals), Pooja Vastrakar (1.9 Cr to Mumbai Indians) and Harmanpreet Kaur (1.8 Cr to Mumbai Indians).


“I think it’s a gamechanger for all of us. To experience this pressure for the first time, I am very excited and at the same time it will entirely change women’s cricket, not only in India but even in world cricket. It’s a great initiative and we are all looking forward to that. How then men’s team were doing for MI, we will also like to contribute the same way,” India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said.


Overseas players like Australia’s Ashleigh Gardener and Natalie Sciver-Brunt were sold for 3.2 Cr to Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians respectively.