Cricket News
WPL 2024:Top 5 richest cricketers in Women Premier League
The Women’s Premier League(WPL) 2024 is set to begin on the 23rd of February with huge expectations in the upcoming tournaments. Though there were only 5 teams in this league, the entertainment and hype have still been on top. The wait for the big players to come back and give their best performances will be a treat to watch for the fans once again. Players like Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine and Meg Lanning will be one of the players to watch out for once again. The last season was a big success where we did not only see our favourite players perform but also saw some young talent come out and express themselves.
The last tournament was won by the Mumbai Indians women under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur and the runner-up team was the Delhi Capitals women who were led by the legendary Australian player Meg Lanning. These two teams are scheduled to face each other in the opening game of the season as well, where they will face off at the Chinnaswamy in Bangalore. This will be the first iconic encounter played at one of the most popular grounds in Indian cricket right now. It will be an entertaining game between these two sides battling it out for the fourth time in this league.
The other factor in this league is also the money that goes into it and the auction has also given us some rich buys as well. Women’s cricket has been at its peak recently and it is no surprise that the fanbase has also grown as well. It will be interesting to see the rich women who have managed to attract the franchise and force them to give them big pay in the upcoming season as well. There are a lot of big players with a lot of money at stake featuring some legends as well. They have done something special to be paid such a high amount.
Without any delay let us see the 5 richest cricketers in the WPL right now:
5. Jemimah Rodrigues ( Delhi capitals W)- 2.2 CR
Jemimah Rodrigues (Source: X)
Rodrigues might be one of the top talents in the Indian team right now known for her brilliant technique, but is yet to play that one big innings in her career. Her last WPL wasn’t the best where she was only able to score 126 runs in her 9 matches. However, the Delhi franchise still has a lot of trust in her and expects her to bring her best game in the upcoming league. She is currently the richest player in the Delhi Capitals women right now and it will be a great experience to watch her finally rise on the occasion under the leadership of one of the best captains in the world.
4. Deepti Sharma ( UP Warriorz)- 2.6 CR
Deepti Sharma (Source: X)
Sharma is currently one of the best all-rounders in the Indian team and was one of the key players for the UP Warriorz last season. Deepti must not have had a dream season with the bat, but still managed to make a huge difference with the ball being one of the highest wicket-takers for her side. She still managed to play some great cameos in the middle in the lower order as well. This is the reason why the Warriorz has invested a lot in her as she is their richest player with 2.6 cr to her name. With Deepti’s current form, it will be interesting to see how will the UP Warriorz fair in this upcoming season.
3. Nat Sciver- Brunt ( Mumbai Indians W)- 3.2 CR
Nat Sciver- Brunt (Source: X)
If there was one player who the MI women trusted it was the English all-round sensation Natalie Sciver- Brunt. She not only could make runs at the top, but take some big wickets with the ball with her medium pace. With over 300 runs and 10 wickets to her name, she was one of the stars for the Mumbai side who won the inaugural title of the WPL. The experience and consistency of Brunt will still be a huge factor in the league and that is the reason why she is the highest-paid player for her team with 3.2 cr.
2. Ashleigh Gardener ( Gujarat Giants)- 3.2 CR
Ashleigh Gardener (Source: X)
The Gujarat Giants might not have had the best tournament last season finishing last in the previous season under the leadership of Sneh Rana. However, it does not mean that there were no players who were still giving great performances. Ashleigh Gardener was a silver lining in that season with over 200 runs and 10 wickets. She managed to score some vital runs in the middle and make big breakthroughs which she is known for. Gujarat Giants will want her at her absolute best next season as well.
1. Smriti Mandhana ( Royal Challengers Bangalore Women)- 3.4 CR
Smriti Mandhana (Source: X)
It was not a great season for Smriti Mandhana and the RCB women in the WPL last season with a lot of low scores to her name. Smriti is still one of the best batters in the world and she will want to prove herself in the upcoming season as well.
As the franchise still shows faith in her, she will become the richest player in the league and will aim to deliver her best performance on the big stage, which she is known for. The fans will want to see Mandhana amongst the runs once again with her elegant stroke play and big runs at the top.