The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 Auction was successfully held on February 13 in Mumbai, hence the day is already past.
All of the franchises have assembled teams with the minimum 15 players needed. The franchises spent a lot of money. Teams made sure to choose the best possible stars who could lead their side.
In this article, we will look into the possible captaincy choice for each franchise in the Women’s Premier League.
Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians)
Given that Harmanpreet Kaur recently signed with Mumbai Indians for INR 1.8 cr, it seems quite improbable that she won’t be the team’s captain in the WPL. Kaur, the captain of India in all formats, is one of the T20 league’s most dangerous batters. Over the years, she has also honed her leadership abilities, and the entire Indian squad attributes their achievements to her.
Ashleigh Gardner/Beth Mooney (Gujarat Giants)
For the first Women’s Premier League season in 2023, the Gujarat Giants have spent INR 3.2 crore to secure top-ranked all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner.
The starting bid for the Australian all-rounder was 50 lakh Indian rupees. Thanks to UP Warriorz, the bidding war swiftly surpassed INR 1 crore. Mumbai aggressively pushed the price past INR 2 crore for her. Gardner’s services were acquired by Gujarat Giants for INR 3.2 crore at last.
The star all-rounder had a good outing during the India tour in December last year, and franchise can make their highest paid player the captain.
Beth Mooney is also one the ideal contenders to lead the Gujarat Giants. The Australian wicketkeeper batter is an experienced campaigner and loves to play at Indian pitches. She was the highest run-scorer during the India tour last year.
Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Smriti Mandhana will be the obvious choice for clubs searching for an Indian captain in the WPL, and RCB have that option to deploy. Mandhana became the most expensive player in the first WPL auction thanks to the team’s huge 3.4 crore outlay.
The opening batter is among the top batters in the world in the shortest format and has captained the Indian squad admirably when necessary.
Meg Lanning/Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals)
Meg Lanning is a recognised legend of the game and one of the most successful captains in women’s cricket history.
Lanning is a seasoned player with an experience of playing more than 125 T20I matches and is among the top batters in the competition.
Two rising stars, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, might gain a lot from her leadership. Jemimah Rodrigues, who recently led India to win in a T20 World Cup tournament against Pakistan, is the ideal choice if Delhi wants to designate an Indian the captain.
Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
Deepti Sharma, a 25-year-old all-rounder, was the perfect fit for UP Warriorz when they paid 2.6 crore for her services. Alyssa Healy, who has experience, is also part of the team, but Sharma, who is from Agra, will undoubtedly be asked to captain her home state team.
