Three Chandigarh cricketers picked in WPL auction

Chandigarh’s three women cricketers will be part of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) teams — Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants — in the upcoming season of the tournament scheduled to be held in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara from January 9. In the auction of players for the WPL held today in New Delhi, four players from Chandigarh were listed.

The city’s Kashvee Gautam, who also represented the Indian women’s team, has been retained by the Gujarat Giants for Rs 65 lakh, against her base bidding of Rs 30 lakh. In the 2024 last edition of the WPL, then uncapped Kashvee emerged as a surprise pick as Gujarat Giants secured her services for Rs 2 crore (against the base prize of Rs 10 lakh) after an intense bidding war with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz. However, she was released by the Giants, after getting ruled out of the season owing to an injury.

Former Indian wicket-keeper Taniya Bhatia, who was earlier playing for Punjab and recently shifted to Chandigarh, has been picked by Delhi Capitals against her base bid of Rs 30 lakh. The franchisee also successfully bid for another Chandigarh player, uncapped Nandni Sharma, on her base bid of Rs 20 lakh.