WPL 2023: Team-wise best buys at the auction

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League auction was brought to a close on February 13, 2023. 448 players went under the hammer but only 97 were able to attract bidders, of which 30 were overseas cricketers. In a bid to assemble a formidable squad, the five franchises spent a total of INR 59.5 crore at the auction table.

The teams did not hesitate to break their bank at the marquee event for a player of their liking. They were also smart enough to play the waiting game and acquire top-drawer cricketers at an affordable price. As the WPL schedule 2023 has arrived and the T20 carnival is set to commence on March 4, let us look at the stand-out buys for each franchise at the recently culminated auction.

Here are the team-wise best buys at the auction:

5. UP Warriorz - Kiran Navgire

Kiran Navgire has taken the domestic circuit by storm with her spectacular performances. In the 2021–22 Women's Senior T20 Trophy, she knocked the wind out of bowling attacks that came her way and plundered 525 runs in seven games for Nagaland, at a strike rate of 131.25. 

Navgire could be seen going behind the opposition's bowling right from the word go, thus turning the tide in her team's favour. She showed her batting might in the Women’s T20 Challenge 2022 as well, scoring the fastest half-century of the tournament, in mere 25 delivers against Trailblazers. She ended up smashing 69 runs off 34 deliveries in the game.

A fearless brand of cricket is the need of the hour in the shortest format and Navgire is someone who embodies the firebrand approach. Thus, UP Warriorz were interested in signing the middle-order batter at the auction and bagged her at a pretty reasonable price of INR 30 lakh.