Predicting the top 5 expensive Australian buys at the WPL 2023 auction
The Women's Premier League (WPL) is scheduled to begin on 4th March in Mumbai this year. The tournament will see 22 matches played at the Brabourne Stadium and the Dr DY Patil Stadium.
Before the tournament gets underway, there will be an auction that will take place on 13th February 2023. With 409 players expected to go under the hammer and a limited number of slots available, not everyone will be lucky enough to take part in the competition.
A maximum of 30 overseas slots are available and the Australian women's team will be expected to dominate them. The World Champions in both white-ball formats, Australia have an abundance of highly-talented players that will be in demand at the WPL auction.
On that note, we predict who the top three most expensive Australian players at the WPL auction in 2023:
#1 Tahlia McGrath
The winner of the Women's T20I Player of the Year award, Tahlia McGrath is an absolute menace to any opposition. The Australian all-rounder has 549 runs in 21 T20Is, averaging 68.62 with a strike rate of 140.76. She also has enough experience as captain with the Adelaide Strikers, leading the national side in the T20I series against India recently.
At a base price of ₹40 lahks, McGrath is probably going to be the most sought-after player at the auction. Not only does she bat high in the middle order, but also offers a decent bowling and captaincy option. She will also bring some balance to whichever franchise that bags her services in the WPL.
#2 Ashleigh Gardner
Ashleigh Gardner is one of the best all-rounders in this current Australian side. Primarily utilized as an off-spinner, she can also be lethal with the bat in hand. Until the last WBBL season, she held the record for the fastest fifty in the tournament, getting to that feat in 22 balls.
In the most recent series against India, Gardner smashed an unbeaten 66 off 34 deliveries in one of the matches at Mumbai, while also taking a couple of wickets. She scored 115 runs in the series at a strike rate of 166.67 and was also the leading wicket-taker with 7 scalps.
A quality all-rounder with recent experience in India is going to be a fairly popular commodity at the WPL auction. With a base price of ₹50 lahks, Gardner might be one of the more expensive players in the market.
#3 Alyssa Healy
Alyssa Healy is the most destructive top-order batter in the women's cricket circuit. The Australian wicketkeeper-batter has scored 2,300 runs in 136 matches, averaging 23.46 at a strike rate of 127.91. Those numbers, though, don't do enough justice to the kind of talent she possesses.
Most Indian fans will remember her performance in the final of the T20 World Cup in 2020, where she took the game away from the opponents in the blink of an eye. She also produced back-to-back hundreds in the semi-finals and the final of the WODI World Cup last year.
When the big stage demands a star in the spotlight to shine bright, Healy usually puts her hands up to deliver. There's little doubt the same will be expected of her when she's signed up for a WPL franchise.
#4 Ellyse Perry
Considered as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, female cricketer on the planet, Ellyse Perry needs no introduction. The Australian all-rounder is set to become the only player to play in each and every edition of the Women's T20 World Cup. Yes, every single one of the eight editions.
She will be playing her 13th World Cup for Australia and is the only Australian player to take 100 wickets in T20Is. With 119 wickets at an economy rate of 5.85, to go along with 1,475 runs, she has scored at a strike rate of 110.81.
Perry brings an abundance of quality and experience to the table and will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after players at the WPL auction.
#5 Beth Mooney
If consistency had another name, it would be Beth Mooney. The opening batter knows how to churn out runs for fun and she does it rather effortlessly, no matter the situation. Constructing an innings is a skill she excels at and the numbers speak for themselves.
With 2,144 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 125.30, Mooney is a mainstay of the Australian batting lineup. Predominantly known as an opening batter, she is versatile enough to adjust in any position and can also don the gloves if required. This is always a helpful skill for an overseas player in a tournament like the WPL.