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Young batter Saanika Chalke was picked up by Mumbai Indians for Rs 10 lakh, while Scotland spinner Kirstie Gordon and all-rounder Kathryn Bryce were among the players signed by franchises at the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2027 mini-auction in Kochi on Wednesday.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen at her base price of Rs 40 lakh. Jonassen, who has played three seasons for Delhi Capitals, was ruled out of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) due to a hip injury and is expected to recover in January. Mumbai Indians picked up 20-year-old left-handed batter Saanika Chalke for Rs 10 lakh. Chalke has emerged as a promising young prospect, having scored a double century for Mumbai in an Under-19 one-day tournament against Sikkim in 2022. She was also part of India's victorious squad at the 2025 Women's Under-19 T20 World Cup. Earlier this year, Chalke finished as the leading run-scorer in the Mumbai T20 competition, scoring 223 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 142.94. She also scored 85 off 53 balls for Mumbai against Jharkhand in the ongoing Senior Women's T20 Trophy ahead of the auction. UP Warriorz signed Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce for Rs 10 lakh. Her sister, Sarah Bryce, went unsold at the auction. UP Warriorz also picked up Manali Dakshini and Sahana Pawar for Rs 10 lakh each as the franchise continued to add to its squad. Delhi Capitals signed Uma Kashvi and Scotland left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon for Rs 10 lakh each. Gordon, who previously represented England, moved to Scotland recently and entered the auction under the Associate category. She made five T20I appearances for England, all during the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup, and also played a Test match against Australia in 2019. Gujarat Giants acquired 16-year-old all-rounder Samaira Raghav for Rs 10 lakh. Raghav was among the four players added to the auction pool on the eve of the event. Meanwhile, several players failed to attract bids during the auction. Indian players Devika Vaidya, Pranavi Chandra, Ira Jadhav, Tanisha Ohlan, Khushi Bhatia, Nazma Khan, Triveni Vasistha and Palak Singh went unsold. Among the overseas players, UAE captain Esha Oza, Australian left-arm spinner Milly Illingworth and New Zealand fast bowler Bree Illing also failed to find buyers. (ANI)
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