WPL 2023 Auction: Smriti Mandhana becomes first female player to be sold, goes to RCB for INR 3.4 crores

Star Indian women’s team opener Smriti Mandhana has become the first female player to be sold in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction in Mumbai on Monday. Registered in the marquee list, Mandhana is bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a record fee of INR 3.4 crores. RCB and Mumbai-based franchise (MI) started the bidding for the stylish left-hander. Priced at INR 50 lacs, Mandhana’s bid crossed INR 3 crores in no time. Soon after, Bangalore bagged her services for a price mentioned above.

Having made her T20I debut a decade back against Bangladesh in April 2013, Mandhana has come a long way her in career in this format since. Not only has she achievedseveral personal accolades, she had plied her trade in different T20-based leagues across the world too, coming across a dynamite opener in white-ball cricket.

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The left-handed batter is currently in South Africa for the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup but missed her side's first game against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday due to a finger injury;India won the match by seven wickets.

Mandhana has some sun-shining records to her name - in 112 T20I matches played so far, Smriti has scored 2651 runs at a strike rate of 122. She has 20 fifties to her name including her personal best of 86.

Devine, Perry also join RCB

Other than Mandhana, RCB also purchased New Zealand's star all-rounderSophie Devine for a price worth INR 50 lacs. Devine is a stalwart figure for New Zealand across formats and her numbers in T20Is are incredible too. In 114 matches, she has 2921 runs with one hundred and 17 fifties to her name.

Besides, Australia's multi-time T20 World Cup winning all-rounder Ellyse Perry was also picked by RCB for a whopping INR 1.7 crores. The right-handed all-rounder has played 130 T20I matches and amassed 1486 runs in addition to picking 17 wickets with the career-best of four for 12.