WPL 2023: 5 players who couldn’t justify their auction price tags

Renuka Singh, Smriti Mandhana and Sneh Rana. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League was a resounding success as it piqued the interest of viewers not only in India but also globally. The final between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals turned out to be a hard-fought contest as Mumbai’s Nat Sciver-Brunt lived to her reputation and guided her side to triumph in the finale.

Apart from the English all-rounder, several high-profile cricketers fulfilled the expectations of their franchises in the marquee event. Among the international stars, the likes of Marizanne Kapp, Hayley Matthews and Meg Lanning took the stage by storm whereas Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma and Saika Ishaque were the picks of the players as far as Indians are concerned.

However, several cricketers, who went for hefty sums at the WPL 2023 auction, failed to live up to their price tag.

Here are five cricketers who could not justify their auction price tag in WPL 2023:

5. Devika Vaidya (UP Warriorz) – INR 1.4 crore

Devika Vaidya. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

One of the Indian all-rounders who failed to live up to her price tag in the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League was UP Warriroz’s Devika Vaidya. The 25-year-old, who made her return to the national setup after a hiatus of eight years at the fag end of 2022, was signed for INR 1.4 crore.

The promising Indian cricketer batted in several positions, from no. 7  to the opening slot, but managed a lowly return of 77 runs in seven matches with an abysmal average of 12.83. Apart from her poor run with the bat, the Pune-born cricketer managed just one wicket in the entirety of the campaign.

Her highest score of the tournament came against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a record-setting opening stand with skipper Alyssa Healy. While Healy blasted her way to a 47 ball 96, Vaidya kept company with an unbeaten 36 of 31 deliveries as the duo smashed 139 runs in just 13 overs for the opening stand.

4. Renuka Singh (RCB) – INR 1.5 crore

Renuka Singh. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old pacer from Shimla has become one of the most sought-after bowlers in the international circuit in a relatively short time. Renuka Singh was bagged by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a whopping INR 1.5 crore and was expected to lead the lines for her side in the inaugural edition of the tournament

However, much like her skipper Smriti Mandhana, Renuka could not live up to her usual high standards in the Women’s Premier League. The right-arm pacer, who is renowned for her ability to move the new ball, managed a solitary wicket in six outings for the Bangalore-based franchise.

Her underwhelming return with the ball forced the team management to drop her for the last two matches of the season as RCB managed just two wins in the tournament, finishing second from bottom in the WPL points table.

3. Richa Ghosh (RCB) – INR 1.9 crore

Richa Ghosh. (Photo Source: JioCinema)

Richa Ghosh was at the heart of the Indian U-19 team’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign. The 19-year-old dasher played a couple of promising innings in the T20 World Cup earlier this year and was expected to set the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League on fire with her swashbuckling power-hitting abilities.

Ghosh, who fetched INR 1.9 crore at the WPL auction, was expected to don the role of a finisher in a star-studded RCB batting line-up. But, the wicket-keeper batter managed just 138 runs in eight outings to underline the Bangalore-based franchise’s misery in WPL 2023.

While her numbers did not do justice to her talent, the young dasher did show glimpses of her abilities with a couple of blistering cameos for Mandhana’s team. However, she had been plagued by the tendency to throw her wicket at crucial junctures of the matches.

2. Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz) – INR 2.6 crore

Deepti Sharma. (Photo Source: Twitter/WPL)

India’s leading wicket-taker in the shortest format of the game, Deepti Sharma was roped in by UP Warriorz for a staggering amount of INR 2.6 crore at the WPL 2023 auction. Her hefty price tag was justified at the time as she has been one of India’s most consistent performers in white-ball cricket over the last few years.

The Indian all-rounder made a decent start to her campaign after helping her side restrict Gujarat Giants to a par total in a thrilling encounter. But she often blew hot and cold with the ball and was outshone by fellow spinner and teammate Sophie Ecclestone, who finished with 16 wickets to her name in contrast to Deepti’s nine.

The 25-year-old did not make a lasting impression with the bat either and managed to breach the 20-run mark on just one occasion. She was quite expensive for UP Warriorz in their decisive clash against eventual champions Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, conceding 39 runs in her four overs.

1. Smriti Mandhana (RCB) – INR 3.4 crore

Smriti Mandhana. (Photo Source: JioCinema)

Much was expected from the stylish Indian opener Smriti Mandhana when she kicked off the WPL Auction 2023 by becoming the most expensive signing of the tournament. Royal Challengers Bangalore paid a hefty sum of INR 3.4 crore to secure the services of the Indian vice-captain.

Mandhana, who was bestowed with the responsibility to lead the Bangalore-based outfit in the historic inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League, failed to impress with the bat. It was probably the weight of captaincy that took its toll on the Indian batting star as RCB’s abysmal campaign was highlighted by Mandhana’s frailties at the top.

While run scoring was tough for the southpaw in the inaugural edition of the tournament, the opposition teams exploited her vulnerability against slower bowlers as she succumbed to spin bowling on seven out of eight occasions.

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store