3 teams that should've gone for Deandra Dottin in WPL 2024 auction
Deandra Dottin has been a very valuable player for the West Indies in the shortest format. In 127 WT20Is, Dottin has scored 2,697 runs with the bat from 125 innings and has scored two centuries in the process.
She has been equally effective with the ball and has picked up 62 wickets at an average of 19.19 and has an exceptional economy rate of 6.42.
Dottin is a true match-winner on her day and is one of the most successful all-rounders in WT20Is at present. It was therefore a surprise that Dottin was unsold during the 2024 WPL auction.
She would have been a very useful player for any team that would have picked her. Here, we look at three teams that should have bid for Dottin in the auction:
#1 UP Warriorz
UP Warriorz were a spin-dominated unit in WPL 2023. They were short of a pace bowling all-rounder and Dottin could have been the missing part of the puzzle in WPL 2024.
Dani Wyatt was the only overseas player picked by them in the WPL 2024 auction. Wyatt is a spin-bowling all-rounder who has done reasonably well for England Women in international cricket.
However, Dottin is more experienced and has a better record on the international stage than Wyatt and could have been a handy pick for the UP franchise.
The West Indian player would have also strengthed the batting line-up of the UP Warriorz and added balance to the team.
#2 Gujarat Giants
Deandra Dottin was initially picked by the Gujarat Giants for the 2023 WPL season. However, on grounds of not obtaining medical clearance, she was replaced at the last minute.
The Giants could never really cope with the absence of an experienced player like Dottin and ended up last on the points table in WPL 2023, having won only two of their games.
The Gujarat-based team acquired Phoebe Litchfield, Lauren Cheatle, and Kathryn Bryce during the 2024 WPL Auction. Out of the trio, Litchfield and Cheatle are relatively inexperienced in Indian conditions and the Windies all-rounder's experience could have been handy for them.
#3 Royal Challengers Bangalore
RCB Women were one of the strongest teams on paper in the previous edition of the WPL. The team however lacked an experienced overseas pace-bowling all-rounder who could balance the combination of the side.
Dottin could have been the perfect pick for the Smriti Mandhana-led outfit. Georgia Wareham (leg spinner), Kate Cross (all-rounder), and Sophie Molineux (spinning all-rounder) were the RCB picks in the auction. Dottin's experience could have added more value and experience to a team full of stars in women's cricket.