Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma made headlines by becoming the highest-paid player in the marquee round of the WPL Mega Auction. She was bought by UP Warriorz (UPW) for ₹3.2 crore through the blatant use of the Right-to-Match (RTM) card.
Auction Highlights
- Most Expensive Player: Deepti Sharma (₹3.2 crore).
- Second-highest buy: Amelia Kerr (₹3 crore) – by Mumbai Indians.
- Biggest surprise: Australian captain Alyssa Healy went unsold.
UP Warriorz Auction Strategy: Blatant Use of RTM Cards
UP Warriorz (UPW), who started with the biggest purse in the auction, displayed their aggressive strategy right from the start.
- Deepti Sharma (₹3.2 crore): After the initial bid from Delhi Capitals, UPW used their RTM card and brought Deepti Sharma back into their team at a record price.
- Sophie Ecclestone (₹85 lakh): UPW also brought back their premier English spinner Sophie Ecclestone at a very low price using the RTM.
- Meg Lanning (₹1.9 crore): After a long bidding process with Delhi, UPW also signed the experienced Meg Lanning.
With these strategic moves, by the end of the Marquee Round, UP Warriorz had acquired three of the eight Marquee players and used two of their four RTMs, making them the most engaged and strategic team of the season.
Other big buys and surprises from the Marquee Round
Apart from Deepti Sharma, other teams also made several big and surprising signings in the marquee round:
| Player Name | Team Name | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia Kerr | Mumbai Indians | ₹3 crore | More than half of Mumbai Indians' purse expenditure. |
| Meg Lanning | UP Warriorz | ₹1.9 crore | The experienced batsman was signed after a long bidding war. |
| Laura Wolvaardt | Delhi Capitals | ₹1.1 crore | Signed after a short competition with RCB. |
| Renuka Singh | Gujarat Giants | ₹60 lakh | Gujarat added this Indian fast bowler to their team. |
| Sophie Devine | Gujarat Giants | ₹2 crore | The signing was made after winning a long battle between three teams. |
Biggest surprise: Australia captain Alyssa Healy, who had a base price of ₹50 lakh, went unsold in the marquee round, which was the biggest shock of the day.
Other sets focus on Indian and foreign players
In the later sets, teams focused on strengthening the middle order and specialist bowlers.
- UPW Strength: Phoebe Litchfield was added for ₹1.2 crore after a lengthy bidding war with RCB. UPW used their third RTM to bring back Kiran Navgire for ₹60 lakh.
- Delhi's aggression: Delhi Capitals added Shree Charani for ₹1.3 crore and Chinelle Henry for the same amount.
- UPW strengthened their spin attack by acquiring Asha Shobana for ₹1.1 crore.
- Mumbai brought back Shabnam Ismail for ₹60 lakh.
- RCB bought Radha Yadav and Nadine de Klerk for ₹ 65 lakh.
Fast bowler Titas Sadhu (₹30 lakh) and spinner Lauren Bell (₹90 lakh) also found buyers. However, several bowlers and wicketkeepers, including Grace Harris and S. Meghana, went unsold in these auction phases.
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