WPL Auction: Ashleigh Gardner tops all-rounder's chart as Gujarat Giants buy Australian for Rs 3.20 crore

Add as a preferred source on Google

Australia all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner had a big payday at the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) auction in Mumbai on Monday.

The 25-year-old, who had a base price of Rs 50 lakhs, was bought for a staggering amount of Rs 3.20 Crore by Gujarat Giants.

Gardener is all set to become the joint most expensive all-rounder in the inaugural season of the five-team WPL. England's Natalie Sciver was bought by Mumbai Indians for the same amount. The two are currently the most expensive overseas buy in the WPL 2023 auction.

She has scored 1069 runs in 68 T20I matches at an average of 26.72 and a strike rate of 133.62. Six fifties have come so far from her blade. Further, the right-arm off-spinner has picked 48 wickets at an average of 19.04 and an economy of 6.23.

She picked five wickets for 12 runs in Australia's Women's T20I World Cup opener against New Zealand on Saturday. Gardner will be joined by fellow teammates Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland. Also, joining her will be West Indies' Deandra Dottin, England's Sophia Dunkley and India all-rounder Harleen Deol.

Earlier, India Women opener Smriti Mandhana - the first player to be auctioned in the WPL - was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a whopping amount of Rs 3.40 crore.

Harmanpreet Kaur was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 1.80 crore, Shafali Verma by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 Crore and Jemimah Rodrigues also by the same franchise for Rs 2.20 crore.

448 players will go under the hammer, with a maximum of 90 players making the cut across five teams - Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz - as we expect bidding wars.

Every team will be able to pick 15-18 players, with a salary purse of INR 12 Crore each. INR 50 Lakhs, INR 40 Lakhs and INR 20 Lakhs is set as the reserved base price for foreign players while for uncapped players, the reserved base price is INR 10 Lakhs and INR 20 Lakhs.

The teams can have a maximum of 18 and a minimum of 15 players including seven overseas (one from an Associate nation). Each of the five franchises have a purse of Rs 12 crore each.