WPL auction: From teenager Kamalini to costliest pick Simran Shaikh, uncapped players have a day out | Cricket News
On Friday night, Uttarakhand’s Raghvi Bisht and Nandini Kashyap – ‘best friends’ ever since they started playing together at the age group level for the state up to senior level – received their first call-ups to the senior Indian squad together. On Sunday morning, teenagers G Kamalini, Joshitha VJ, and Niki Prasad were on the field together for the India U19 side, comfortably winning the Asia Cup match against Pakan U19. Meanwhile in Ahmedabad, on a rest day in the Women’s Senior ODI Trophy, Mumbai’s Simran Shaikh was glued to the proceedings in Bengaluru nervously, hoping at least someone would pick up the paddle for her.
Sunday night, all their lives had changed as they found new homes in the Women’s Premier League. It was the defining narrative to emerge from the WPL 2025 auction, with 14 out of the 19 available slots going to uncapped Indian cricketers. On the flip side, none of the 10 capped Indian players who were part of the final shortl found takers, including Sneh Rana and Poonam Yadav.
When the first set of 12 capped players went largely quietly, it was becoming evident that all teams – despite having a fairly sufficient purse to pick up experienced players – were waiting for the second set and beyond. With the top Indian internationals anyway retained the franchises, it wasn’t entirely surprising. But the proceedings on Sunday were proof that the scouting information available with teams is much better now than perhaps it was when the league began in 2023.
Sixteen-year-old Kamalini, a wicket-keeper batter from Tamil Nadu, kickstarted a serious bidding war between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. The winning bid of Rs 1.6 crore from MI didn’t come as a surprise to Aarti Sankaran, former Tamil Nadu cricketer and National Cricket Academy-certified coach who has mentored the youngster, posted on X: “She is playing the WPL for the team that needs her the most and will use her the best. Mumbai Indians called her for multiple trials. Charlotte Edwards (head coach) knows who she wants.”
That Kamalini was the star with the bat just hours earlier with a 29-ball 44 against Pakan U19 at Bayuemas Cricket Oval, Kuala Lumpur made the day all the more special for her. Kamalini’s U19 teammates Niki (the team captain) and Joshitha (promising pacer) went to DC and RCB respectively.
The most expensive bid of the day went to Simran, the batter from Dharavi in Mumbai, with Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals keen to add her power-hitting to the lineup. Eventually, Gujarat got their player with head coach Michael Klinger effusive in praise of the ball-striking ability she has shown in domestic cricket.
For Raghvi and Nandini, the past couple of days must have been a whirlwind. In a video posted BCCI ahead of the T20I series against West Indies, Nandini – who went to DC – recalled how she had messaged Raghvi – who went to RCB – on her birthday last year. “I remember telling her, ‘Bro, we need to play together for India too someday.” Raghvi has saved that message. Their senior debuts will have to wait for now, but they have both made it to the WPL as well together on the same day. And to round off an impressive day for Uttarakhand, leg-spin bowling allrounder Prema Rawat generated serious interest before landing a Rs 1.2 crore bid from defending champions RCB.
Away from the Indian picks, the headline recruitment was that of star West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. The ‘World Boss’ was signed up for the inaugural edition Gujarat Giants, but controversy ensued before the tournament started. The franchise announced a replacement for her citing a lack of proper information over her fitness and Dotttin took to social media to write she was “deeply disappointed what can only, plausibly, be described as bewildering reasoning for my omission from the tournament.”
Either side of that, she has retired and unretired from international cricket, and sent out a reminder of her class at the T20 World Cup and the Women’s Big Bash League, striking the ball cleanly as ever. Water under the bridge, then, as she is set to finally make her presence felt in the WPL.
TOP FIVE BIDS:
Simran Shaikh: Rs 1.9 crore to GG (Base: Rs 10 lakh)Deandra Dottin: Rs 1.7 crore to GG (Base: Rs 50 lakh)G Kamalini: Rs 1.6 crore to MI (Base: Rs 10 lakh)Prema Rawat: Rs 1.2 crore to RCB (Base: Rs 10 lakh)N Charani: Rs 55 lakh to DC (Base: Rs 10 lakh)
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