The Auction for the inaugural edition of Women’s Premier League has finally come to an end.
Smriti Mandhana was the first player to go on the floor and she remains the most expensive buy of the auction, having been acquired by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for ₹3.4 crore.
While all the 5 teams have finalized their squad, here are the contenders for captaincy from each team:
Captaincy Contenders For Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB):
- Smriti Mandhana
- Ellyse Perry
- Heather Knight
Mandhana is the vice-captain of Team India and is the frontrunner to lead the side. However, given Perry’s experience, she too could have been a strong contender to lead the team. English captain Heather Knight is also in the race to become RCB’s captain.
Captaincy Contenders For Mumbai Indians (MI):
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Nat Sciver
Harmanpreet Kaur, who already leads India across formats, is the frontrunner to lead MI. However, Nat Sciver, who too has handled leadership roles for England, could lead the side too.
Captaincy Contenders For UP Warriorz (UPW):
- Alyssa Healy
- Deepti Sharma
- Tahila McGrath
Australian vice-captain Alyssa Healy has a wealth of T20 experience and she is a big contender to become the captain of her side. However, Deepti Sharma has a smart brain too and can lead UPW as well. Tahila McGrath, on the other hand, has taken up leadership roles on several occasions too.
Also read: WPL Auction: Famous Women Cricketers That Went UNSOLD in The Auction
Captaincy Contenders For Delhi Capitals (DC):
- Meg Lanning
- Shafali Verma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
No doubt Meg Lanning will be a big contender for captaincy for DC in the inaugural edition of WPL. However, she will get tough competition from the young Shafali Verma who led India to victory in the U19 T20 World Cup this year. Jemimah Rodrigues, who has taken up leadership roles on several occasions, could also be appointed as the captain.
Captaincy Contenders For Gujarat Giants (GG):
- Beth Mooney
- Ashleigh Gardner
Beth Mooney has been the ‘Brain’ of Australia batting unit and is the frontrunner to lead Gujarat Giants. However, Ashleigh Gardner could also be one of the contenders for captaincy.