The players' auction for the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) is set to take place in Mumbai soon. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has enlisted a woman auctioneer to preside over the proceedings. This is the first time that a woman auctioneer has been hired to oversee a major cricket auction in India.
Who is Mallika Sagar?
Mallika Sagar, who will be the female auctioneer for the Women's Premier League, is a Mumbai-based art collector and consultant on modern and contemporary Indian art.
Women cricketers around the world have waited for this moment and the league for years. In an interview with the official broadcaster just before the auction, Mallika Sagar said, "I was asked to do this and I am proud.
This will certainly bring a change in the Indian women's domestic cricket landscape. Mallika Sagar said, "Indian women will finally get their due on the international stage, they will have the potential to play at the highest level."
To familiarize herself with the auction, Mallika Sagar, the third generation of cricket fans in her family, watched videos from past auctions.
Auctioneer extraordinaire Mallika Sagar of @PUNDOLES mesmerized the room with her quick wit as the stakes were raised.
Heartfelt thanks to our #art partners for the #SanctuaryFundraiser art auction.
— Sanctuary Asia (@SanctuaryAsia) March 30, 2019
While her expertise is in art, she is not new to sports auctions. Recently, they conducted the Pro Kabaddi League 2021 auction. Her career began at Christie's in 2001, when she became the first Indian-origin woman auctioneer there.
'Game changer': Women cricket stars express their excitement about the auction
Ahead of the auction, women's cricket stars have expressed their excitement for the auction and have hailed it as a "game changer" and "the next big thing".
"I think this is going to be a game changer not only for India but also for the world. We are excited about it," Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said in a video posted by the BCCI.
Auction for Women's Premier League in Mumbai
A total of 409 players will be up for bid during the auction for the inaugural edition of WPL. Out of 409 players, 246 are Indian and 163 are foreign players, of which 8 are from associate countries.
The five teams have a maximum of 90 slots available, of which 30 are for overseas players.
₹50 lakh is the highest reserve price with 24 players to be placed in the highest bracket. There are 30 players in the auction list with a base price of ₹40 lakh.
Inaugural Edition of WPL
The inaugural edition of the WPL will be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 at two venues in Mumbai and the player auction for this will take place on February 13.
The five franchises were acquired by the owners of the three IPL teams - Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Delhi Capitals - as well as Adani Group and Capri Global for a total of Rs 4669.99 crore (approximately USD 572.78 million).
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