WPL Auction: Biggest unsold names

The 2023 Women's Premier League (WPL) player auction concluded on Monday with a total of 87 players from across the world recruited to play in the inaugural edition of the league.

While the auction proved to be life-changing for quite a few unknown names, a lot of popular and experienced players failed to find a place in any of the five franchises for the WPL.

Here, we take a look biggest unsold players in the first-ever WPL auction:

Meghna Singh

An India-regular in ODIs, Meghna Singh did not find any takers for the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League. She is also a part of the reserves for the Indian team at the ongoing 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, but her dismal numbers in the format proved to be her downfall in the auction.

Suzie Bates

The former captain of the New Zealand women's cricket team, Suzie Bates failed to attract any bids at the WPL auction despite being a regular member for White Ferns. She currently ranked 7th in the ICC T20I rankings, but her dwindling bowling stocks and age might have played a factor in teams deciding to look beyond her.

Ekta Bisht

One of the most economical spinners in world cricket, Ekta Bisht is yet another Indian name, who will sit out for the WPL. She has taken 53 wickets in 42 T20Is - the last of which came in 2019, for India at an economy rate of 5.3 runs per over. At 37, Bisht is at the twilight of her career and with the teams deciding to breed youngsters like Parshavi Chopra and Sonam Yadav, the veteran went out of favour.

Katherine Brunt

Arguably one of the best all-rounders to have played cricket, Katherine Brunt will not be a par of the inaugural WPL. Her form, off late has been scratchy and that might have played a role in her being ignored. While her spouse Natalie Sciver managed to attract a lump-sum bid from the Mumbai Indians, Brunt will have to cheer for her from the sidelines.

Alana King

Alana King - a leg spinner, was expected to be a sure shot pick at the WPL. With roots in Chennai, the Australian had impressed mightily in the recently concluded bilateral series against India. But with domestic spinners available aplenty, King will have to wait for her turn in the WPL.

Ayabonga Khaka

Ayabonga Khaka, over the years, has emerged as the go to bowler for South Africa across format. She, however, failed to attract any bids despite the constant improvement in her gameplay.

Laura Wolvaardt

Perhaps one of the biggest shockers of the WPL auction, was Laura Wolvaardt finding no bids. The 23-year-old batter is known for her explosive batting at the top of the order and possesses the skill to win matches single handedly. But with multifaceted players available in the auction, her unidimensional gameplay failed to garner any attention.

Lea Tahuhu

The fastest bowler in women's cricket, Lea Tahuhu found herself out of favour in the inaugural WPL auction. She has played 72 T20Is for New Zealand and picked up 67 wickets and is currently ranked 10th in the world.