3 players who could have been listed in the marquee set for WPL 2023 auction

Women's cricket has taken massive strides following the inception of the Women's Premier League (WPL), inspired by the highly successful Indian Premier League (IPL). Established and emerging players have registered themselves for the inaugural auction that will see the five franchises battling it out to forge their squads.

As announced recently, a total of 1525 players put their names in for the auction, where a curated list of 409 players was determined. Out of the curated list, 163 candidates are overseas players. Eight players from associate nations also mark their presence among the overseas contingent.

The highest price bracket for the auction has been set at ₹50 lakh. Players falling under this category are earmarked for the marquee set and a total of 24 candidates have kept it as their base price. The other brackets include ₹40 lakh, ₹30 lakh, and ₹10 Lakh. According to a statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), 30 players have kept their base price at ₹40 lakh.

The auction is slated to take place at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai on February 13, 2023. The inaugural edition of the WPL is slated to take place in Mumbai as well from March 4-26, 2023.

Let's take a look at three names who could have aimed higher and included themselves in the marquee set with a base price of ₹50 lakh.

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#1 Tahlia McGrath - Australia

The recently crowned ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of the Year certainly sold herself short by naming herself in the second-tier bracket of a ₹40 lakh base price.

Tahlia McGrath had a memorable 2022, winning the gold medal for cricket at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Australia while battling COVID-19, and also leading the national side as well.

She has scored 435 runs in 16 matches at an average of 62.14 and also claimed 13 wickets in 2022. For her efforts, she was rewarded with a No.1 ranking in the format among batters as well. She has had a meteoric rise since making her debut in October 2021.

The 27-year-old is certainly set to be on the radar for several franchises and will fetch big bucks at the WPL auctions.

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#2 Radha Yadav - India

A majority of the current Team India stars have listed themselves in the highest bracket. However, Radha Yadav, who is already Team India's third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is at the age of 22, has listed herself in the second bracket.

She has claimed 65 wickets in 63 T20I appearances since making her debut in 2018. While her economy is slightly on the higher side when compared to her compatriots, she makes up for it with her ability to bat down the order and muster up crucial runs.

Several other Indian players have named themselves in the ₹40 lakh bracket in the WPL auction and played it safe. These include Harleen Deol, Rajeshwari Gaykwad, Shikha Pandey, and Yastika Bhatia.

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#3 Beth Mooney - Australia

The experienced batter, who has left her mark across competitions all over the globe, has also included her name in the tier below the WPL marquee list.

She was recently awarded the Belinda Clark medal for her exploits across international cricket in 2022.

The 29-year-old is vastly experienced across national and franchise cricket and being a credible wicketkeeping option, franchises are bound to bid for the Australia international.

The former No.1-ranked batter in the Women's T20Is opens the batting and has also been nominated for the January 2023 Player of the Month award. She had a good bilateral series against Pakistan, scored 28 runs on a testing surface against India, and is a vital cog for Australia in the upcoming Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa.

Several other internationally acclaimed players did not list themselves on the WPL marquee list, namely Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, and Laura Woolvardt.

Who will be the most expensive player at the inaugural WPL auction? Let us know what you think.

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