WPL 2023: 5 Players who might warm the bench for whole season

3. Shabnam Md Shakil

In the recent auctions, Shabnam Md Shakil became the youngest cricketer along with Sonam Yadav to bag a WPL contract. The 15-year-old went to Gujarat Giants (GG) as the franchise signed her for her base amount of INR 10 lakh.

Shakil recently represented the India U-19 team in the inaugural season of the U-19 World Cup where she got two games and picked one wicket, at an economy of 10.25. After featuring in the marquee event, the young gun would expect her franchise to include her in the forthcoming WPL as well.

However, things may not be simple for her as she had an ordinary outing in the U-19 World Cup. Shakil’s young age and lack of experience may also distance her from GG’s playing XI. Compared to her, other pacers such as Monica Patel and Mansi Joshi are more experienced and may thus be seen as better options for the franchise.