5 exciting IPL talents who'll earn less than Shafali Verma

Shafali Verma was one of the biggest acquisitions at the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) auction, which was held on Monday, February 13, in Mumbai. The young opening batter was roped in by the Delhi Capitals (DC) for a sum of ₹2 crore, which was effectively one-sixth of their entire purse.

The auction dynamics were different from the men's edition, which includes a purse amount of up to ₹90 crore on select occasions. However, that did not hold the teams back from splashing the cash on high-profile players at the WPL auction 2023.

Smriti Mandhana, who was the first name to be drawn at the auction, induced a massive bidding war between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Bengaluru-based franchise eventually secured the ace batter's services for ₹3.4 crore, thereby making her the most expensive player at the auction.

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Meanwhile, the interest in Shafali is a great sign for her future, and by obtaining ₹2 crore, she leap-frogged several male players of her age from a financial standpoint. Only a handful of 19-year-old male cricketers have induced a bidding war at the auction table, despite the stark contrast in the auction trends in the IPL and the WPL.

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On that note, let's take a look at five exciting IPL talents who will earn less than Shafali Verma.

#1 Tilak Varma

The Hyderabad-born youngster had a prolific season with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2022 edition. He was arguably their best batter in a season where the five-time champions finished bottom of the table.

Varma scored 397 runs across 14 matches at a strike rate of 131 to end the season as the franchise's second-highest run-getter behind Ishan Kishan.

A member of the 2020 U-19 World Cup team, Varma was bought by MI at the 2022 mega-auction for a price tag of ₹1.70 crore, which is ₹30 lakh less than what Shafali fetched at the WPL 2023 auction.

#2 Maheesh Theeksana

The Sri Lankan spinner has evolved to be a household name in franchise cricket and has also largely cemented a place in the national team setup as well. The 22-year-old enjoyed a solid debut IPL campaign for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after they acquired him for a miserly sum of ₹70 lakh.

The signing has been lauded as a bargain after the spinner claimed 12 wickets in nine matches during IPL 2022. Since then, Theeksana has played around the globe, representing franchises in the LPL, CPL, and SA20.

In the Sri Lankan team setup, he has forged an excellent white-ball partnership with Wanindu Hasaranga and has also gone on to make his Test debut.

#3 Finn Allen

Touted as an explosive T20 opening batter, Finn Allen is highly rated, but is yet to make his IPL debut. He initially came in as a replacement for Josh Phillippe in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) camp and was subsequently roped in by the franchise at the IPL 2022 mega auction for ₹80 lakh, not even half of what Shafali could muster.

He had to sit out the entire season as the franchise sorted their opening combination out of skipper Faf du Plessis, Anuj Rawat, and Virat Kohli.

The 22-year-old has claimed the opening slot in the New Zealand white-ball squad, with the Kiwis moving on from Martin Guptill.

#4 Kamlesh Nagarkoti

The express pacer was penciled in for huge things, but his career just hasn't gotten off yet, largely due to injuries.

Spearhead of the 2018 U-19 World Cup triumph in New Zealand, Kamlesh Nagarkoti had a brief stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), before switching to the Delhi Capitals (DC).

The 2020 IPL finalists bought him for a sum of ₹1.10 crore at the IPL 2022 mega auction, which is almost half of what Shafali will earn per season in the WPL. He has only played one match apiece across the last two editions and could soon be a forgotten name if he fails to avail opportunities.

#5 Yash Dhull

Much like Shafali, the Delhi-born Yash Dhull also led the Indian U-19 team to victory in the World Cup, albeit in the 50-over format. While he is yet to consistently prove his mettle in the shortest format, the title-winning skipper warranted more interest.

However, he only availed a solitary bid from DC at the IPL 2022 auction, and he was sold for his base price of ₹50 lakh, far less than what Shafali fetched. He is yet to make his IPL debut, but huge things are being expected from him, especially after he was named captain of the Delhi domestic team at such a tender age.

Other young players like Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Arjun Tendulkar, and Priyam Garg boast an inferior contract than that of Shafali Verma.

What are the other young IPL prospects that come to mind who earn less than Shafali? Let us know what you think.

Also Read: List of players sold at WPL Auction 2023