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The much-awaited Women’s Premier League 2023 (WPL) is just weeks away and the excitement around the marquee event just doesn’t seem to come to an end. Fans are eagerly waiting for the event to begin and all the women cricketers who were auctioned for the league are gearing up to play in one of the most popular sporting leagues around the world.
Multiple star women cricketers have been bought by the five franchises in what turned out to be a fierce auction. Let’s take a look at the top-three all-rounders from around the world who will be the ones to watch out for in the inaugural WPL for their franchises:-
Deepti Sharma
Deepti Sharma was one of the most expensive Indian players bought at the auction, as she was bagged by INR 2.60 crore by UP Warriorz. No doubt about her potential, her recent exploits in international cricket and especially after her brilliant outing against England during India’s tour of England during September 2022 has definitely made her one of the most sought after all-rounders.
Handy with both the bat and ball, the 25-year-old can definitely provide the balance a team needs. Deepti is the bowler with most wickets for India in WT20Is. She went past her compatriot Poonam Yadav in the game against the West Indies in the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup to achieve the feat.
Ashleigh Gardner
Another promising all-rounder, Ash Gardner was the most expensive foreign player (alongside Nat Sciver-Brunt) at the auction, purchased for INR 3.20 crore by Gujarat Giants. She is currently ranked world no.1 in the list of all-rounders in T20I cricket.
A two-time T20 World Cup winner for Australia, Gardner’s batting and crafty off-spin make her a vital member across all formats. The 25-year-old was the 2021-22 Belinda Clark medal winner as Australia’s best female international player.
Ellyse Perry
Just the name is enough. Ellyse Perry was signed by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 1.70 crore. She is one of the most sought after all-rounders in the world, with her contributions being immensely instrumental for Australia on numerous occasions. With the bat or with the ball, she can just wreak havoc on oppositions whenever the team demands.
In 131 ODIs, she has scored 3386 runs and claimed 161 scalps. Similarly, in T20Is, the star all-rounder has aggregated 1526 runs and snared 122 wickets.