WPL 2024 Auction: Five players who could trigger bidding war on 9 December

We are just days away from the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction for the 2024 season. The inaugural season proved to be a mega success as Mumbai Indians won the trophy under the captaincy of Harmanpreet Kaur. Now with the second season just a few months away, all five teams will be back on the auction table to complete their squads. The auction will take place on 9 December in Mumbai and a maximum of 30 slots are available with the five teams. Nine spots are available for overseas players. A total of 165 players including 104 Indians will be part of the auction. Before the mega event, we take a look at the five players who can trigger a bidding war. Devika Vaidya (Base price: Rs 30 lakh) [caption id=“attachment_13473742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Devika Vaidya can contribute both with ball and bat. Image courtesy: BCCI official Twitter account[/caption]   The leg-spinner who is known for her googlies played for UP Warriorz in the first season and was bought for Rs 1.4 crore. She was released after taking just one wicket in three innings and scoring 77 runs in seven matches. Despite an ordinary season in 2023, the all-rounder is expected to once again attract big bis. She has international experience and recently won the gold medal with Team India at the Asian Games. More importantly, experienced Indian players are sure to find a lot of takers at the auction. Mannat Kashyap (Base price: Rs 10 lakh) The left-arm finger spinner Mannat Kashyap recently got her maiden call-up for India and she is expected to make her debut in the T20I series against England. Mannat Kashyap at Rs 10 lakh base price remained unsold last time but the Under-19 World Cup-winning player is set to attract bids this time given her foray into the national time. Deandra Dottin (Base price: Rs 50 lakh) [caption id=“attachment_10339651” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Deandra Dottin is one of the best hitters in world cricket. ICC image[/caption] The West Indies veteran was signed for Rs 60 lakh by Gujarat Giants last season but did not take part in WPL 2023 after the franchise excluded her on medical grounds. Dottin later rubbished GG’s claim. Now she is back in auction at the highest base price of Rs 50 lakh. One of the best players going around in the T20s, Dottin has a hundred to her name in international T20Is and 62 wickets including best figures of 5/5. She is also an excellent fielder and will be a top choice for most of the teams. Chamari Athapaththu (Base price: Rs 30 lakh) The Sri Lankan captain surprisingly went unsold last time but she is in top form currenlty having scored 552 runs in 14 innings in the Women’s Big Bash League 2023-24. In 2023, she has scored at a strike rate of over 130 and has 470 runs to her name in 16 T20Is. She was also the top scorer with 114 runs as Sri Lanka stunned England in a T20I series recently. Shabnim Ismail (Base price: Rs 40 lakh) The former South African pacer was acquired by the UP Warriorz for Rs 1 crore at the inaugural WPL auction. Though she was released after taking just three wickets in three matches, she is expected to attract a lot of bids. She took eight wickets as South Africa reached the T20 World Cup final earlier this year and is also one of the fastest pacers going around.