WPL 2023 auction: A look at the unsold overseas players
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
