Smriti Mandhana's RCB vs Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians: Which team will win the inaugural edition of WPL? - Analysis

The inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) auction in Mumbai on February 13 was a resounding success for women's cricket in India. A total of 87 players were bought by the five franchises, with a total spending of INR 59.50 crore. The auction lasted for almost seven hours, and there were a few intense bidding wars, some bargain buys, and some disappointments.

While some argue that a sixth team would have helped, it is possible that a new franchise could be added in a few years. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) missed out on the first-ever franchise auction, but they may have a team in the WPL in the future.

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From auction action & the team's philosophy to joining forces with @ImHarmanpreet _@JhulanG10, Mentor and Bowling Coach, @mipaltan shares her thoughts post the historic #WPLAuction __ pic.twitter.com/YwEy8RuWKu — Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 14, 2023

The costliest player at the auction was Indian vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for INR 3.4 crore. Interestingly, Mandhana was also the first player to be sold in the WPL. All-rounder Ash Gardner and Natalie Sciver-Brunt were the joint second-costliest players, being sold for INR 3.2 crore apiece.

Mandhana is expected to lead the RCB, even though there are several other leaders in the team, including Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Sophie Devine, and Dane van Niekerk. The Gujarat Giants focused on all-rounders, and they have as many as eight or nine in their squad, with seven likely to be in the first XI.

The Mumbai Indians (MI) now have both national captains, Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur. Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals (DC) have probably built the strongest and most all-round squad, ticking all the boxes and acquiring the serial trophy-winning captain, Meg Lanning. The UP Warriorz made probably the best buy of the auction by getting Alyssa Healy and the local girl Deepti Sharma, who is likely to lead the side. The team also has some of the top players in the world, including Tahlia McGrath, Shabnim Ismail, and Sophie Ecclestone.

In conclusion, the WPL auction was a milestone for women's cricket in India, with a large number of players finding teams and a significant amount of money being spent. The five franchises have built strong squads, with some big names and young talents included, setting the stage for an exciting and competitive tournament.

Predicted Playing XI of all 5 teams in WPL

Delhi Capitals: Shafali Verma, Sneha Deepthi, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning (c), Alice Capsey, Marizanne Kapp, Tanya Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Tara Norris (A), Shikha Pandey, Jess Jonassen

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney (w/c), Deandra Dottin, Sabbineni Meghana, Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sneh Rana, Ash Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Mansi Joshi, Tanuja Kanwar

Mumbai Indians: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Dhara Gujjar, Hayley Matthews, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, Amelia Kerr, Sonam Yadav, Issy Wong, Saika Ishaque

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh (wk), Dane van Niekerk, Kanika Ahuja, Megan Schutt, Renuka Thakur, Preeti Bose, Komal Zanzad/Poonam Khemnar

UP Warriorz: Alyssa Healy (wk), Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Tahlia McGrath, Deepti Sharma (c), Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sophie Ecclestone, Anjali Sarvani