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With only a maximum of 90 roster spots up for grabs, the auction ahead of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL 2023) season was a keenly followed affair.
Smriti Mandhana, Ashleigh Gardner and Nat Sciver-Brunt were among the top earners at the WPL 2023 auction, with all five franchises focusing on star power and high-profile value. While they tried to fill the rest of their respective rosters with lesser-known talent, a few future superstars didn't spark massive bidding wars.
Here are three uncapped players who were sold for surprisingly low amounts at the WPL 2023 auction.
#3 Shweta Sehrawat
Shweta Sehrawat is probably the most proven uncapped batter in WPL 2023. The youngster, who was meant to captain India in the Women's U19 T20 World Cup 2023 before Shafali Verma took over, is one of the most consistent batters going around right now.
Sehrawat finished the tournament as the leading run-getter, making important contributions from start to finish. She was in excellent form before that, too, and was always going to be picked at the WPL 2023 auction.
However, while she was sold for four times her base price of ₹10 lakh to the UP Warriorz, Sehrawat arguably fetched well under what she's worth right now. A player who has outperformed the likes of Shafali in the recent past, she is bound to become an international star in the near future.
#2 Hurley Gala
Hurley Gala unfortunately missed out on the Women's U19 T20 World Cup 2023 with injury. Heading into the competition, though, the all-rounder was primed to be one of India's most important players.
Gala almost found no takers at the WPL 2023 auction before the Gujarat Giants snapped her up for her base price of ₹10 lakh in the accelerated round. There's no doubting the fact that she would've been in more demand had she played the U19 World Cup, but it's also safe to say that she deserved more than her base price.
Gala is only 16 years old and offers a unique profile, that of a fast-bowling all-rounder. She has already spoken about wanting to become the fastest Indian bowler, and while that may be some distance away, her immense potential is there for all to see.
#1 Disha Kasat
At 25 years of age, Disha Kasat isn't as young as the other players on this list. However, she is just as capable and is coming into her own as a batter.
Kasat was the leading run-scorer in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy 2022, with 300 runs from eight matches at a strike rate of 114.5. She also made a mark in the Senior Women's ODI Trophy, amassing 292 runs in four innings at an average of 97.33 and a strike rate of 79.56, including two fifties and a century.
Kasat was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for just ₹10 lakh, an amount that seems scant given her recent exploits. The understated right-hander could shine alongside big names in the lineup like Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine.
