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Australia captain Sophie Molineux and England batter Sophia Dunkley have registered at the highest base price of Rs 50 lakh for the Womens Premier League (WPL) 2027 mini auction, which will feature 146 players competing for 27 available slots in Kochi on October 28.
The auction pool comprises 119 Indian players, including 22 capped and 97 uncapped cricketers, while the overseas contingent has 27 players, with 14 capped and 13 uncapped players. Six overseas players represent Associate Nations, according to Cricinfo. Franchises will have 20 slots available for Indian players and seven for overseas recruits. Indias G Kamalini, released by Mumbai Indians, and Kiran Navgire, released by UP Warriorz, have registered at a base price of Rs 40 lakh alongside Australias Heather Graham and Jess Jonassen. Another 30 players have entered the auction at a base price of Rs 30 lakh. Among the notable absentees are West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin, released by UP Warriorz, Australia leg-spinner Alana King, released by Delhi Capitals, and South Africa batter Lizelle Lee, who was Delhi Capitals leading run-scorer last season. Only two England players, Dunkley and Kira Chathli, who have registered at Rs 10 lakh, are part of the auction list. Several other English players, including Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey, Dani Gibson, Lauren Filer and Linsey Smith, have opted not to register. England are expected to play three T20 Internationals in Sri Lanka in early February, which would overlap with the final week of the WPL. The scheduling clash, along with the relatively lower salaries on offer compared with Englands domestic competition, The Hundred, is understood to have influenced the decisions of several English players to prioritise international commitments ahead of the Champions Trophy later that month. Molineux was part of Royal Challengers Bengalurus title-winning squad in 2024, claiming 12 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 7.31. She was retained for the 2025 season but missed the tournament due to a knee injury. Dunkley represented Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL season in 2023 before opting out of the 2024 auction. She went unsold in the 2025 auction. Among the prominent players who have registered at a base price of Rs 30 lakh are Australia all-rounder Grace Harris, released by RCB, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, South Africa left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba and South Africa all-rounder Chloe Tryon. UP Warriorz, who released nine players ahead of the auction, will enter the bidding with the largest remaining purse of Rs 3.65 crore. The auction is scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM on October 28 in Kochi. (ANI)
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