T-20 Women’s Premier League auctions make history as Mandhana signs with RCB for a record sum.
Story so far: Smriti Mandhana, a left-handed opener in the Indian cricket team, was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the player auction for T20 Women’s Premier League (WPL). Mandhana topped the auction by receiving the highest winning bid of ₹3.4 crore. The dynamic opener has expressed excitement at the prospect of playing for RCB.
- 1,525 players registered for the maiden WPL auction, while the final list included 409 players. WPL will be held in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 across two venues.
- Mandhana had a bid at her base price ₹50 lakh after which ensued an epic tussle between RCB and Mumbai Indians to secure her.
Why it matters? The WPL auction represented cricket’s growing lucrativeness and viability as a profession for women. It was a day when top women cricketers turned millionaires overnight and signalled sunshine days ahead for those women who are still at the fringes.
- Mandhana professes that while men cricketers’ auctions have been common for a decade, the recent WPL auction made history for women’s cricket. The player expressed delight at the achievement of women on the playing field.