Who is the First Player to be Sold at WPL Auction 2025? West Indies Star Bags Big Deal With Gujarat Giants

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WPL Auction 2025: West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin became the first player to go under the hammer in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 Auction.

The 33-year-old was snapped up by the Gujarat Giants for a hefty sum of ₹1.7 crore, following an intense bidding war with UP Warriorz.

UP Warriorz initiated the bidding at ₹50 lakh, but Gujarat Giants quickly joined the fray. The bids surged past the one-crore mark, ultimately securing Dottin's services for the Giants. Her acquisition marks a remarkable comeback after going unsold in the 2024 auction.

Dottin, an experienced campaigner, boasts stellar numbers in T20 cricket. Across 132 WT20Is, she has amassed 2817 runs, including two centuries and 12 fifties, while also claiming 67 wickets with her right-arm medium pace.

As a testament to her explosive hitting, she holds the record for the fastest century in women’s T20Is (38 balls).

Known for her aggressive batting and reliable bowling, she played a key role in the Melbourne Renegades' title-winning campaign in the recent WBBL and was instrumental in West Indies’ semi-final run at the T20 World Cup 2024, scoring at an impressive strike rate of 162.16.

Interestingly, this isn’t Dottin’s first association with Gujarat Giants. She was part of their squad in 2023 but didn’t feature in the season amidst confusion over injury claims. The franchise stated that she was injured, but Dottin refuted those claims, leading to a social media storm. Despite her credentials, she went unsold in 2024, marking a low point in her career.

However, her recent exploits have reignited her WPL career. With this purchase, Gujarat Giants have added a proven match-winner to their arsenal, setting an electrifying tone for the auction.

Dottin now joins the elite list of first buys in WPL auction history, following Smriti Mandhana (2022) and Phoebe Litchfield (2023). Fans will eagerly await her impact in the upcoming season.