New Delhi: In a historic development for women's cricket, the Women's Premier League 2023 (WPL 2023) showcased an exceptional gathering of top-tier talent from around the world in an enthralling T20 competition. Taking place from March 4 to March 26, 2023, the event transcended the boundaries of cricket, evolving into a celebration of women's sports, highlighting skill, teamwork, and the essence of healthy competition.
The inaugural season made its mark in history as the Mumbai Indians (MI) emerged as champions, clinching the coveted title after a series of thrilling matches. The pinnacle moment occurred on March 26 in a nail-biting final, where the Mumbai Indians triumphed over the Delhi Capitals, securing victory by seven wickets with three balls to spare. This triumph underscored the Mumbai Indians' consistent performance throughout the tournament.
Hayley Matthews of the Mumbai Indians earned the prestigious title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) for her exceptional all-round contributions. Another notable highlight featured Sophie Devine, who secured the Tata Safari Car for the Harrier Super Striker Award, recognizing her outstanding batting prowess.
The prelude to the tournament, marked by an electrifying auction, rivaled the on-field matches in excitement. Smriti Mandhana emerged as the highest earner, securing a remarkable INR 3.4 crore deal with the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The auction also witnessed significant signings, including Ashleigh Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Beth Mooney, standing out as some of the most notable overseas acquisitions.
This year, the BCCI has announced that the WPL 2024 Auction will take place in Mumbai on December 9. The teams have already shared the list of players retained and released.
Gujarat Giants (GG)
Retained Players: Ashleigh Gardner*, Beth Mooney*, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt*, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer
Released Players: Annabel Sutherland*, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham*, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth*, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley*, Sushma Verma
Mumbai Indians (MI)
Retained Players: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr*, Chloe Tryon*, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews*, Humairaa Kaazi, Isabelle Wong*, Jintimani Kalita, Natalie Sciver*, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia
Released Players: Dhara Gujjar, Heather Graham*, Neelam Bisht, Sonam Yadav
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
Retained Players: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry*, Heather Knight*, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine*
Released Players: Dané Van Niekerk*, Erin Burns*, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt*, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, Sahana Pawar
UP Warriorz (UPW)
Retained Players: Alyssa Healy*, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris*, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell*, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S. Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone*, Tahlia Mcgrath*
Released Players: Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail*, Shivali Shinde, Simran Shaikh
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