New Delhi: Meg Lanning, Australia's World Cup-winning captain, has been signed by the Delhi Capitals (DC) for Rs 1.1 crore at the WPL Auction 2023. In a race to sign Lanning for the inaugural Women's Premier League season, the Delhi-based team beat Mumbai Indians (MI).
Before Delhi hired Lanning, the Mumbai Indians and Delhi were involved in the bidding process. Lanning became the youngest person to captain an Australian cricket team and score her first international hundred at the age of 18.
Lanning has participated in six successful world championship campaigns, winning four ICC Women's World Twenty titles and two Women's Cricket World Cup titles.
The auction also includes 27 other Australians, including Lanning and Alyssa Healy.
India's Smriti Mandhana was the first player up for auction. After a frantic bidding war, she was sold to RCB for Rs 3.4 crore.
The Indian U19 T20 World Cup champion Shafali Verma then piqued the interest of the franchises, prompting a bidding war. The skilled hitter was purchased by Delhi Capitals for INR 2 billion.
The Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise owners all purchased WPL teams; the Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz are the other two teams.
Mumbai will host the much-anticipated Women's Premier League (WPL) inaugural season from March 4 to March 26.
All of the games will be played at the Brabourne Stadium and the DY Patil Stadium. The Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians-owned franchise are expected to play in the tournament's opening game.
The inaugural season will consist of 22 games, with the league stage's highest-ranked team automatically qualifying for the final. The teams in second and third place will compete for a spot in the title game.