WPL 2023 auction: A look at the unsold overseas players
What's the story
The inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) auction took center stage on Monday.
While Smriti Mandhana emerged as the costliest bid, Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Ashleigh Gardner topped the bidding charts among overseas players.
Despite the notion that foreign players enhance the excitement of the tournament, there were a few big names that remained unsold at the auction.
Here, we look at the same.
Bates
Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
Suzie Bates, who set a base price of Rs. 30 lakh, remained unsold at the auction.
The batting all-rounder has scored more runs than any player in WT20Is, compiling 3,683 runs in 141 matches, averaging a decent 28.77. She has slammed one hundred and 23 half-centuries.
On the bowling front, Bates has claimed 55 wickets at an impressive economy of 6.60 (4WI: 1).
Duo
Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus (South Africa)
South Africa's opening batter, Laura Wolvaardt, didn't garner any bids at the auction. Wolvaardt, who set a base price of Rs. 30 lakh, has racked up 880 runs in 49 WT20Is. She averages a decent 27.50 (50s: 4).
South African skipper, Sune Luus, remained unsold for a base price of Rs. 30 lakh. She has aggregated 1,052 runs and 49 wickets in the format.
Brunt
Katherine Brunt (England)
England's all-time leading wicket-taker in WT20Is, Katherine Brunt, found no takers for a base price of Rs. 50 lakh.
The right-arm quick has pocketed 112 wickets across 109 matches, averaging a sensational 18.76. She boasts an economy of 5.51.
Notably, Brunt was a part of the English squad that won the inaugural ICC Women's T20 World Cup in 2009.
Athapaththu
Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu was unsold at a price of Rs. 30 lakh.
The batting all-rounder is the nation's all-time scorer in WT20Is, having scored 2,264 runs in 108 matches. She has notched one hundred and six fifties. The off-spinner has also bagged 34 wickets at 29.20.
Athapaththu recently scored a 50-ball 68 against South Africa in the ongoing ICC Women's T20 WC.
King
Alana King (Australia)
Australian leg-spinner Alana King couldn't entice any bids.
King, who had a base price of Rs. 40 lakh, has been an asset both in franchise cricket and international level.
Since her WT20I debut in 2022, King has grabbed 21 wickets at a stellar average of 17.19. Besides, she picked 17 wickets for Perth Scorchers in the 2022 Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).