Auction for inaugural 'game-changing' WPL to take place in Mumbai today

The auction for the inaugural edition of the Womens Premier League WPL likely to bring about a paradigm shift in the landscape of womens cricket is set to take place in Mumbai on MondayWomens cricketers all over the world have waited for this moment and league for years The arrival of WPL and an auction preceding it has left players with hopes that the glamour unpredictability clout cash flow and thrill of franchisebased cricket will bring about a massive transformation to their game and lives just the way it did for mens cricket through the Indian Premier League IPL which is perhaps the sports biggest cashcowRubbing shoulders with top Indian and international talent and playing against them could make a difference in Indian womens domestic cricket scene and prepare them for bigger challenges that come with donning the iconic blue colours of Team IndiaA total of 409 players will go under the hammer during the auction of the inaugural edition of WPL which will be taking place on February 13 the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI announced on TuesdayAlso Read Smriti Mandhana Harmanpreet Kaur Shafali Verma set to soar in WPL auctionA total of 1525 players registered for the inaugural Womens Premier League Player Auction and the final list was pruned to 409 playersOut of 409 players 246 are Indians and 163 are overseas players of which 8 players are from associate nations The total capped players are 202 uncapped players are 199 and 8 are from associate nationsA maximum of 90 slots are available with the five teams with 30 being slotted for overseas playersRs 50 lakh is the highest reserve price with 24 players choosing to be slotted in the highest bracket Team India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur Smriti Mandhana Deepti Sharma and Indias Under19 T20 World Cupwinning captain Shafali Verma are among the few Indians who have slotted themselves in the highest bracket13 overseas players have also slotted themselves under the Rs 50 lakh reserve price with the likes of Ellyse Perry Sophie Ecclestone Sophie Devine amp Deandra Dottin to name a few30 players are on the auction list with a base price of Rs 40 Lakh The auction will start at 1430 ISTAhead of the auction women cricket stars have expressed their excitement for the auction and look at it as a game changer and the next big thingI think it is going to be a gamechanger not only for India but for the world as well We are excited about it said Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in a video posted by BCCIIndia batter Jemimah Rodrigues also said I think it is going to be a starting point for something massive in womens cricket worldwide There are going to be exciting talents and matches These will give us a lot of confidence Doing well here and then wearing the Indian jersey will take our team to next levelIndian opener Smriti Mandhana said that it is a big moment for womens cricketI always watched mens IPL and auction and I am really excited that how it will unfold Hope it goes well all teams are wellbalanced and I get a good team added the openerEngland allrounder Danni Wyatt said that womens cricket was waiting for this moment for yearsIt is finally here These are some exciting times for us and we cannot wait added WyattEngland allrounder Alice Capsey said that womens cricket has gone from strength to strength over the years with the U19 T20 World Cup recently being a huge successThis WPL is going to expand the game even more It has come at a perfect time Looking forward to getting picked and playing in India in front of those big crowds added CapseyIndia mens team skipper Rohit Sharma also expressed happiness and wished everyone involved in the auction good luckIt is a historic thing happening in Indian cricket More than 400 players are going under the hammer Nervous but exciting times I would like to wish everyone involved the very best of luck This has opened a lot of avenues for cricketers worldwide to showcase their talent It is going to be massive We have seen that with mens IPL WPL is going to be no different said Rohit in a video posted by BCCIWPL is about to change the game for womens cricket and this feeling is mutual among both men and women alike With such a welcoming reception in cricketing circles after its announcement the auction and league look all set to be a huge successThe inaugural edition of WPL will be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 across two Mumbai venues and the player auction for the same will be held on February 13The five franchises were acquired by the owners of the three IPL teamsMumbai Indians Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitalsalong with Adani Group and Capri Global for a total of INR 466999 crore about USD 57278 million This represents the largest deal ever made in womens cricket The successful bidders were announced on January 25This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of 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