Most expensive players in WPL 2024

Who are the most expensive players in WPL 2024? How was the WPL auction held? Let's get into the details.

By Forbes India

Published: Apr 25, 2024 06:15:54 PM IST

Updated: Apr 25, 2024 06:17:48 PM IST

The Women's Premier League (WPL) is a women’s T20 cricket franchise league owned and operated by the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI), similar to the IPL. The WPL is an influential step towards promoting women's cricket in India, with the first season played in March 2023 and the second season conducted in February and March 2024. It has uplifted women’s cricket’s standing and established a fresh benchmark for the game.

In the 2024 WPL auctions, players fetched prices as high as two crores, showcasing the league's growing significance and value.

Auction Process

The WPL auction process involves bidding for players by the five franchises: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Gujarat Giants. The live auction for 2024 was held on December 9th in Mumbai.

The auction included 165 cricketers, 104 Indians and 61 overseas players, 15 of whom were from Associate Nations.
There are 56 capped players among the 165 cricketers.
The bidding was conducted in 13 rounds, with each team aiming to build a group of 15 to 18 players, with a maximum of six overseas players.
A playing XI can include up to five overseas players, with at least one from an Associate Nation.

Also Read: Top 10 most expensive players in IPL 2024

Highly valued players in the 2024 WPL Auction

The list below shows the costliest players based on the 2024 WPL auction, with data sourced from the WPL's official website.

Rank	Player	WPL Team	Auctioned Price (Rupees)
#1	Annabel Sutherland	Delhi Capitals	₹2,00,00,000
#2	Kashvee Gautam	Gujarat Giants	₹2,00,00,000
#3	Vrinda Dinesh	UP Warriors	₹1,30,00,000
#4	Shabnim Ismail	Mumbai Indians	₹1,20,00,000
#5	Phoebe Litchfield	Gujarat Giants	₹1,00,00,000
#6	Ekta Bisht	Royal Challengers Bangalore	₹60,00,000

Here’s a closer look at the six most expensive WPL players in 2024.

Note: Data on nationality, matches, runs, and wickets are sourced from the official WPL website.

Annabel Sutherland; Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

Annabel Sutherland

Nationality: Australian
Number of matches played in WPL: 8
Total wickets in WPL: 4
Total runs in WPL: 55

Annabel Sutherland is an Australian pace bowling all-rounder known for her hard-hitting abilities. She has represented Australia in several international games, including the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, where she was part of the winning team. In 2022, she was selected for Australia's squad in the 50-over World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, earning the winner's medal in both battles.

Kashvee Gautam

Nationality: Indian
Number of matches played in WPL: N/A
Total wickets in WPL: N/A
Total runs in WPL: N/A

Gautam made headlines during the 2019-20 domestic season when she claimed all ten wickets in an innings in the BCCI Women's under-19 one-day trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh. She became the first Indian cricketer to achieve this feat in a limited-overs game. Her all-around abilities, power-hitting, and bowling skills made her a valuable asset for any team she played for. However, her absence from WPL 2024 due to injury is a notable loss for Gujarat Giants.

Vrinda Dinesh

Nationality: Indian
Number of matches played in WPL: 3
Total wickets in WPL: N/A
Total runs in WPL: 18

Dinesh is known for her aggressive batting style and powerful striking abilities, and she has been a consistent performer in Karnataka's domestic circuit. She was Karnataka’s highest runs scorer in the 2021-22 Women’s Senior One Day Trophy with 477 runs from 11 matches. She also represented India in the WCL 2 and the Emerging Asia Cup, where she played a striking role in India’s title win.

Shabnim Ismail; Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

Shabnim Ismail

Nationality: South African
Number of matches played in WPL: 10
Total wickets in WPL: 11
Total runs in WPL: 8

Shabnim is a right-arm fast bowler and South Africa’s all-time leading wicket-taker in One-Day International and Twenty-over International matches. Ismail is famed as one of the fastest female bowlers globally, holding the record for the fastest ball bowled by a woman in international cricket. In 2023, Ismail was bought by the UP Warriorz for the inaugural season of the Women's Premier League (WPL). She was one of the team's three overseas players and one of only four South Africans across the competition.

Phoebe Litchfield; Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP

Phoebe Litchfield

Nationality: Australian
Number of matches played in WPL: 8
Total wickets in WPL: N/A
Total runs in WPL: 108

Phoebe is an Australian cricketer who plays left-handed and occasionally right-arm leg break bowler. She represents the New South Wales Breakers in the Women’s National Cricket League and the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League. In her career, Litchfield has showcased her batting prowess with notable performances, including scoring her maiden white-ball century in an ODI against Ireland, where she scored an unbeaten 106 runs.

Ekta Bisht; Photo by Harry Trump-ICC/ICC via Getty Images

Ekta Bisht

Nationality: Indian
Number of matches played in WPL: 2
Total wickets in WPL: N/A
Total runs in WPL: 12

Ekta is from Almora, Uttarakhand, and is known for being the first international player from the state. She made her first international debut in 2011 and has been a crucial part of India’s spin attack. Bisht gained widespread recognition during the 2017 ICC Women's World Cup when she played a pivotal role in India's journey to the final.