Predicting the top 5 buys of WPL 2024 Auction ft. Chamari Athapaththu

The 2024 Women's Premier League (WPL) auction has been scheduled for Saturday, December 9, in Mumbai. Following the success of the inaugural season in 2023, which culminated with the Mumbai Indians (MI) lifting the title, franchises will be eager to strengthen their squads and put on a charge next season.

The franchise named their list of retained and released players on October 15, and a total of 60 players were retained, out of which 21 were overseas candidates. The released players along with a host of new names comprise the player pool.

A total of 165 players will be available to be acquired, with 104 Indian players and 61 overseas players making up the list. On that note, let us predict the top five buys of the WPL 2024 Auction.

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#1 Sabbineni Meghana

The 27-year-old opening batter was acquired by the Gujarat Giants (GG) for the inaugural edition of the WPL. Sabbineni Meghana, however, did not have the best of campaigns, returning with only 79 runs from six matches as the franchise finished at the bottom of the table.

She has played three ODIs and 17 T20Is and could prove to be a valuable player for the franchises in the next season. Meghana is also quite versatile, having batted everywhere from opening to No.5 in her international career so far.

Meghana also has credible performances under her belt, with the ones in the Women's T20 Challenge and the Senior Women's T20 Trophy standing out in particular.

She embodies an aggressive style of play, with one of her most memorable outings coming in the third ODI against New Zealand, where she scored her maiden fifty off just 33 deliveries.

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#2 Devika Vaidya

Devika Vaidya was a surprise omission by the UP Warriorz after the franchise broke the bank by shelling out ₹1.4 crore to secure her services. Despite her obvious talent, she could not justify her price, scoring only 77 runs in seven WPL 2023 matches in addition to taking a solitary wicket.

Being a left-handed batter and a leg-spinner, she presents a unique set of skills that some of the franchises would love to have among their ranks. The first edition of the WPL already showed the importance of having depth in both batting and bowling, making all-rounders the most sought-after breed in the upcoming auction.

Vaidya was part of the Indian women's team that participated in the 2023 Asian Games. She took a couple of wickets in the winning campaign in Hangzhou and before that, the all-rounder was prolific in Team India's tour of Bangladesh as well. She claimed six wickets in the three-match ODI series and also took two wickets in the T20I contest.

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#3 Danni Wyatt

The England international recently played her 150th WT20I in the ongoing series against India. Danni Wyatt shockingly went unsold in the inaugural WPL auction, but has a chance to mark her presence in the competition in the 2024 season.

She is an experienced campaigner, having already played in The Hundred as well as the Women's Big Bash League. The top-order batter showed what she could bring to the table with a well-made 75 in England women's win over the Women in Blue in the series opener at the Wankhede Stadium.

Wyatt was also the player of the match in the 2023 Hundred Final, as she scored a quickfire 59 to help the Southern Brave defeat the Northern Superchargers. She was also the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

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#4 Chamari Athapaththu

The Sri Lanka women's skipper had expressed her disappointment at being overlooked in franchise cricket. Ranked seventh in the list of women when it comes to T20I cricket, she made a huge statement with a resounding campaign in the recently concluded WBBL season for the Sydney Thunder.

Chamari Athapaththu was named player of the tournament after amassing 552 runs in 14 innings, which included five fifties at a strike rate of 127.18.

The 33-year-old, who has played in 122 T20Is, also comes across as a bowling option with her part-time right-arm off-spin.

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#5 Annabel Sutherland

Another one of Gujarat Giants' surprising releases comes in the form of the 22-year-old Annabel Sutherland. The Australian international recently had a good season for the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL. The all-rounder made four appearances in the WPL 2023 season, where she scored 28 runs and took three wickets as well.

Reports suggest that she was the subject of discussion for a potential trade before the talks came to an end. As a result, she now finds herself back in the player pool and will undoubtedly find a new franchise for the 2024 season. She will be seen in action when Australia tour India for an all-format series.

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Apart from the aforementioned players, the likes of Deandra Dottin, Shabnim Ismail, Tara Norris, and Kim Garth are some of the few names that could fetch a hefty sum at the auction.

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Who will be the most expensive acquisition at the WPL 2024 auction? Let us know what you think.