"Will bring more money and fame to women's cricket" - Shafali Verma reacts after Delhi Capitals sign her for ₹2 crore at WPL 2023 auction

The Delhi Capitals (DC) roped in swashbuckling Indian opener Shafali Verma for a whopping amount of ₹2 crore at the first-ever Women's Premier League (WPL) auction on Monday, February 13.

Reacting to the signing, Verma mentioned that Delhi is like a home team for her. The talented youngster seemed thrilled to represent the Capitals in the inaugural WPL season and suggested that it will be a fun-filled journey.

The 19-year-old thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for giving life to the WPL and feels the competition would bring more money and fame to women's cricket.

In a video shared by JioCinema on social media, Verma said:

"Delhi is my home team and I am feeling really good. It will be a lot of fun, of course. Thanks to Delhi for taking me and I'll enjoy playing for them. The WPL will bring more money and fame to women's cricket. It's good to see all the efforts put in by the BCCI and the others involved."

Notably, apart from Delhi, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also expressed interest in acquiring Verma's services at the auction. The Capitals ultimately signed the star batter after winning the bidding war.

Verma has emerged as one of the brightest prospects for India in white-ball cricket in recent years. The explosive batter has featured in 52 T20Is so far in her career, scoring 1264 runs at an impressive strike rate of 134.5.

She captained India to victory at the U19 Women's T20 World last month. With 172 runs from seven matches, the right-handed batter finished as the tournament's third-highest run-scorer.

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"Will create new stars for us" - Shafali Verma on the WPL benefiting India's domestic cricketers

Speaking in the video, Shafali Verma also mentioned that the WPL will provide a great platform for India's domestic players, giving them a chance to rub shoulders with international stars.

Verma further emphasized that the tournament will benefit women's cricket significantly. She highlighted the importance of the competition while also urging fans to support players, adding:

"This will be a great opportunity for domestic players, and it will create new stars for us. They will get the experience of playing with international stars. I'm happy for them, and it's a really good thing for women's cricket. Please support us as the support of the fans will be very important for us."

Meanwhile, Verma is part of India's squad for the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup 2023. She played a key role in India's emphatic seven-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Cape Town on Sunday, February 12.

Her 33-run knock was instrumental in India chasing down Pakistan's 150-run target in a thrilling fashion with one over to spare.