3 star Australian players who may go unsold at the WPL 2023 auction
The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2023 auction is set to take place on Monday, February 13 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. 409 players are set to go under the hammer, with 163 overseas players among them.
Australia is the biggest force in women's cricket, and are the favorites to win the ongoing ICC Women's T20 World Cup, a feat they have already achieved five times. 28 Aussies will be up for auction and with some of the world's best players available, franchises should go hard to secure the services of most of these players.
However, given the overseas player limit and budgetary restrictions for each side, we might even see some star players go unsold.
On that note, let's look at three star Australian players who could go unsold.
#3 Jess Jonassen
This might seem unlikely, considering that she's one of the best ODI bowlers in the world but Australian left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen could be unsold at the auction.
With franchises allowed to play only five overseas players in their playing XI, they will need to prioritize one position over another. Traditionally, India has an abundance of spinners and we've seen in the IPL as well that franchises rarely play overseas spinners, with some leg spinners being the exception.
Given her high price bracket of ₹50 lakh, teams may feel they can take a risk on an Indian left-arm orthodox and spend the money on a hard-hitting middle-order batter. They could also opt for someone who can bowl quick pace or other player profiles India isn't known for.
#2 Darcie Brown
Young Australia pace gun Darcie Brown is one of the most promising talents in the world, with her ability to bowl at a great pace and swing the new ball well. She has integrated herself well into the Australian setup and has featured in 12 ODIs and 15 T20Is.
However, with a base price of ₹50 lakh, which is the highest slab, Brown might face plenty of competition from more experienced international stars from around the world. While it seems unlikely that teams wouldn't want to take a chance on a budding pace talent, the wickets at the CCI and at the DY Patil Stadium aren't expected to be that conducive for seamers.
While she could turn out to be an excellent performer for a side, there is a chance Darcie Brown goes unsold because of her base price.
#1 Alana King
Lastly, leg-spinner Alana King is another player who stands a chance of being unsold despite being a regular member of the Australian squad. King's player profile as an overseas spinner could see teams overlook her, especially with a base price of ₹40 lakh.
While she isn't a prolific wicket-taker, King is a bowler with good control and an excellent economy rate. However, India churns out spinners every year and teams would have scouted for domestic talents to complement those already present in the side.
There's likely to be a preference for pacers, batters, and all-rounders at the auction. With Alana being an overseas player who is a specialist spinner, she might go unsold.