WPL auction: Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Charani likely to land hefty deals

Leading international cricketers including Laura Wolvaardt and India's World Cup hero Deepti Sharma will go under the hammer at the WPL auction here on Thursday with bidding wars also expected for homegrown Kranti Gaud and Shree Charani.

A total of 277 players -- 194 Indian and 83 overseas -- will be part of the first ever mega auction with five teams looking to fill a maximum of 73 slots including 50 Indians and 23 overseas. The minimum squad size is 15 and the upper limit is 18.

Fresh from their historic ODI World Cup triumph, Indian players will be in high demand. Player of the tournament Deepti Sharma, who was released by UP Warriorz soon after the World Cup final, is likely to fetch a good deal.

It won't be surprising if young guns like Kranti and Charani match Deepti's paycheck, having proved themselves in India's triumphant campaign at the ICC event. Harleen Deol, Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana are also part of the auction.

The big international names up for grabs include retired Australian captain Meg Lanning, current Australia skipper Alyssa Healy, leading England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, New Zealand veteran Sophie Devine, her compatriot Amelia Kerr and South African captain Wolvaardt.

Wolvaardt was in sublime form in the ODI World Cup, racking up hundreds in the semifinal against England the final against eventual winners India.

Having retired from international cricket in 2023, Lanning has been in red hot batting form in the WBBL and that will be considered by multiple teams on the auction table.

Australian Phoebe Litchfield is a star in the making and franchises are expected to go after her.

Having retained just one player, UP Warriorz have the maximum purse -- 14.5 crore -- going into the auction while Delhi Capitals have the least money -- 5.70 crore.

Four associate players -- Theertha Satish and Esha Oza (both UAE), Tara Norris (USA) and Thipatcha Putthawong (Thailand) are also part of the auction list. The tournament is expected to begin on January 7.