Unsold players' 11 after WPL 2024 auction ft. Chamari Athapaththu & Devika Vaidya
The auction for the 2024 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) has concluded, and all five teams have significantly strengthened their rosters.
Annabel Sutherland, Kashvee Gautam, and Vrinda Dinesh stole the show during the auction, with the franchises fighting it out to secure their services. Sutherland and Gautam were the most expensive players at ₹2 crore, while Dinesh wasn't far behind.
However, at the same time, there were a few deserving cricketers who won't be part of a WPL squad for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, with only five teams and limited slots, that was always on the cards.
Here is a playing XI that features unsold names from the WPL 2024 auction. The league rule that states only four overseas players (as well as a maximum of one Associate player) can be part of the XI has been followed.
Honorable Mentions: Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Simran Shaikh, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Sushma Verma, Sonam Yadav.
Openers: Chamari Athapaththu (c) and Deandra Dottin
The Player of the Tournament in the recently concluded Women's Big Bash League, Chamari Athapaththu was one of the biggest names on offer at the WPL 2024 auction. However, not for the first time, the star all-rounder didn't find any takers.
Athapaththu's non-selection has already brought about plenty of questions regarding the teams' thinking, and it's certain that a player of her caliber and current form deserves a chance in the competition.
Deandra Dottin is another player who went unsold on Saturday. The West Indian was part of the Gujarat Giants (GG) in the last season before leaving the franchise under controversial circumstances.
Unfortunately, her fortunes don't seem set to improve this time around.
Middle order: Uma Chetry (wk), Devika Vaidya, Gautami Naik, and Jasia Akhter
This XI features an all-Indian middle order.
Uma Chetry, who has even been called up to the national squad a couple of times of late, is known to be an excellent option at the top of the order. However, she was overlooked, with the likes of Aparna Mondal picked ahead of her. Chetry will don the gloves in this XI.
Devika Vaidya was one of the marquee picks last year, with the UP Warriorz (UPW) shelling out well over a crore for her services. However, the leg-spinning all-rounder didn't have a great WPL 2023 season and has also fallen out of favor at the national level.
While there are concerns over Vaidya's suitability to the shortest format, she offers a skillset that barely any other player in the country does. Surprisingly, though, no team was interested in the 26-year-old.
Gautami Naik made a splash at the last edition of the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, amassing 264 runs in seven matches at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 132.66. However, no paddles were raised for the Baroda player, who was definitely unfortunate to miss out.
Released by the Delhi Capitals (DC) ahead of the WPL 2024 auction, Jasia Akhter was expected to fetch considerable interest on Saturday. However, the hard-hitting batter will not feature in the tournament in a significant shock.
Lower order: Kim Garth, Hurley Gala, Tara Norris, Alana King, and Komal Zanzad
Four of these five names featured in the last edition of the WPL, and they are all quality players who have much to offer in the shortest format. However, they didn't garner any attention at the 2024 auction.
Aussie all-rounder Kim Garth and Indian youngster Hurley Gala were part GG in WPL 2023, while Tara Norris became the first bowler to take a five-fer in the league while playing for DC. Komal Zanzad, meanwhile, warmed the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bench without getting a chance to impress.
Alana King takes up the final overseas spot in this XI. The talented leg-spinner doesn't offer as much with the bat as someone like Georgia Wareham, and that might have been the reason for her exclusion, with overseas slots at a distinct premium in the WPL.