All five franchises have specific gaps in their teams, and to fill those gaps, they need these players
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) mini-auction 2025 is set to take place in Bengaluru on December 15, with 120 players set to go under the hammer. The auction room could become an incredibly tricky place for the teams because out of five teams, four teams need to purchase four players each (4x4=16 players). The fifth team needs to buy only three players, which means that out of 120 players, only 19 players will be picked from the auction. In short, the strategy game of every team must be top-notch.
Who will fetch the highest price in the WPL 2025 Auction? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/TJoOSXs1Ci
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) December 12, 2024
Given it is impossible to determine which team will purchase which player, we have zeroed-in on the players that each team should focus on depending on the gaps that are present in each team.
Uttar Pradesh Warriorz should definitely think of getting a finisher, given their reliance on Deepti Sharma is a little too much. Therefore, they should go for Deandra Dottin, the West Indies star who came out of retirement to lead West Indies to the semi-final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Her prowess down the order and her seaming capabilities will give an overall edge to the Warrioz. Apart from Dottin, Orla Prendergast is now a budding name in the T20I format and has had a decent 2024, especially against Bangladesh recently—a series where she picked ten wickets, including two three-fors.
Mumbai Indians also have a gap in the middle order and need a finisher. The obvious choice should be Dottin, but if they fail to capture her, the next target should be Nadine de Klerk, who knows how to hit the ball out of the park. She may not accumulate too many runs, but even a quick 20 in a format like T20 could make a difference. Not to forget, she is equally good with the ball.
Gujarat Giants had the worst bowling performances at the 2024 WPL edition, so they let go of their four bowling options. We believe Darcie Brown could be an excellent target for Gujarat Giants, given she is a young, exciting talent who can swing the new ball and is also capable of throwing some scary bouncers. In 52 matches that she has played in the Women’s Big Bash League, she has scalped 56 wickets.
Delhi Capitals is in dire need of a heavy hitter down the order. As always, the top name that fills this requirement is Dottin. However, apart from Dottin, Delhi should also target Kim Garth or Alana King. Both Garth and King are capable of taking crucial wickets and maintaining good strike rates. Not too many runs are required off their bats, but they should aim for a quick 20s or 30s if picked by any of the teams.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru need two players – a fast bowler and a middle-order batter. Part of the U-19 World Cup, Falak Naz could be the bowler who could save Bengaluru on certain days, whereas when it comes to a middle-order batter, it could be West Bengal’s Tanusree Sarkar. Given that Bengaluru doesn’t have a slot for overseas players, they will have to rely on local talent.
