India batter Yastika Bhatia was sold to Mumbai Indians (MI) for INR 1.5 crore while Richa Ghosh was secured by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for INR 1.9 crore at the inaugural Women's Premier League auction in Mumbai on Monday.
Gujarat Giants made the opening bid for the lefty-hander but MI swooped in to take her home for INR 1.5 crore. Yastika Bhatia is a sublime batter who is pleasant to watch and can bat in the middle order while also opening the inning. The left-hander played a 17-run knock against Pakistan which helped India get to a solid start in their opening game of the T20 World Cup on Sunday. RCB was able to clinch India's wicketkeeper-batsman Richa Ghosh who is known to go berserk at the business end of the inning and play the role of the finisher. Delhi Capitals (DC) made the first bid for Richa Ghosh, and RCB joined in to eventually get her for INR 1.9 crore. The right-hander played a scintillating knock of 31* runs against Pakistan, helping India chase 40 runs off the last four overs with an over to spare. Her stocks have risen since her India debut and has earned a reputation for hitting mammoth sixes in tense situations. Gujarat Titans secured the services of West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin for INR 60 lakh. A total of 1,525 players registered for the inaugural WPL auction and the final list was pruned to 409 players. The inaugural edition of WPL will be played in Mumbai from March 4 to 26 across two Mumbai venues and the player auction for the same will be held on February 13. (ANI)
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