Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants are the five teams competing in the inaugural edition of Women’s Premier League 2023.
There were 448 players in total up for bid at the WPL 2023 Auction, but only 87 of them were purchased. Of those players, 30 were from outside of India, and the remaining 47 were Indian players.
Smriti Mandhana, an Indian opener, was the first player ever auctioned off in the WPL Auction 2023. The 26-year-old vice-captain of India was purchased by RCB for an astounding INR 3.40 crore.
Ten rounds of the regular auction made up the WPL auction, which was followed by three rounds of the accelerated bidding. The franchises now seem ready to choose their team captains as the tournament is due to start on March 4.
WPL 2023 potential franchise captains
Deepti Sharma – UP Warriorz
Along with signing Deepti Sharma, UP Warriorz also added notable players like Alyssa Healy and Sophie Ecclestone to their roster. But given her background, the UP franchise will probably name Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma as skipper. In addition to the stars, the team also has a large number of young domestic players that were purchased by the club. Therefore, having an Indian skipper would be more logical given improved communication.
Smriti Mandhana – Royal Challengers Bangalore
In the forthcoming WPL 2023, Indian opener Smriti Mandhana would probably command the RCB team. Mandhana has expertise leading her side under duress and has captained the Indian team in the past. Additionally, Mike Hesson, the director of cricket for RCB, dropped signals that Mandhana will be in charge of the team. After the 26-year-old was acquired by RCB, Hesson issued a statement.
Harmanpreet Kaur – Mumbai Indians
Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the India Women’s Team, was quickly acquired by the Mumbai Indians for INR 1.8 crores. The brand has already hinted that Harmanpreet will lead the team as captain. Recent social media posts from the franchise showed captain Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur standing side by side with the slogan “Leaders. Legends.”
Beth Mooney – Gujarat Giants
During the WPL 2023 Auction, Beth Mooney, who is regarded as Australia’s run-machine, signed with the Gujarat Giants for INR 2 crore. The all-rounder has extensive T20I playing experience and was a key player of the Australia team that won the T20 World Cup previously. Mooney has the capacity to lead from the front, thus the team will be aiming to name her the captain.
Shafali Verma – Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals have added a number of fresh outstanding players to their line-up who are capable of serving as captain. Many fans would anticipate Jemimah Rodrigues to assume the captaincy position. However, there are rumours that the team would choose Shafali Verma to be the captain. This is because she just participated in the U-19 T20 World Cup, where the Indian opener helped the Indian women win the inaugural tournament.