WPL 2023: 5 Players who justified their price tags

The inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League enthralled the fans with riveting cricketing action as several international stars lit up the T20 extravaganza with their sensational performances. The tournament served as the foundation for the growth of women’s cricket in India and did a phenomenal job in providing the platform for numerous unknown names to showcase their skills against some of the biggest names of world cricket.

The historic auction of the first-ever premier women’s T20 competition in India saw numerous stars getting sold for big sums of money as fans were eager to see them representing their favorite franchises. However, there were many players who were sold for exorbitant prices but couldn’t live up to their reputation on the field.

But there were also a few from the lot who did full justice to the faith shown in them by their franchises and returned the favor with their stupendous performances. As the historic first edition of WPL came to a close with Mumbai Indians being crowned as the champions, let’s take a look at the players who proved their worth throughout the inaugural edition of the tournament.

Top 5 players who justified their prices in the auction and played well

1. Meg Lanning (INR 1.10 Crore)

The legendary Australian captain was roped in by Delhi Capitals for a whopping amount of INR 1.10 crore. They faced stiff competition from Mumbai Indians, however, Delhi eventually sealed the deal and got the services of the most successful captain in international cricket (in terms of trophies won).

The 31-year-old came into the tournament having vast experience of leading Australia to five ICC titles which includes T20 World Cups in 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023 and the ODI World Cup in 2022. Lanning lived up to her reputation and led her side from the front as she finished as the highest run scorer of the tournament scoring 345 runs in nine innings at an average of 49.28 and a strike rate of 139.11 with two half-centuries to her name.

Apart from her batting heroics, she was top-notch in her tactical decisions on the field and took DC to the final of the tournament. Unfortunately, they lost to Mumbai in the summit clash in a last-over thriller and finished as the runner-up. Despite their loss in the final, Lanning has helped Delhi to build their reputation as a formidable team that will dominate WPL in the coming editions.