WPL 2023 Auction: High profile international captains go unsold after initial rounds

The landmark Women's Premier League 2023 auction saw some big gainers in the initial stages, with India's Smriti Mandhana becoming the first player to go under the hammer. However, there were a few puzzling decisions from the participating franchises as they opted out of bidding from some high-profile international captains.

While Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was roped in by the Mumbai Indians for a handsome price tag of INR 1.80 crore, hard-hitting Windies all-rounder Hayley Matthews could not attract any suitors in the auction. It was a surprising decision, given Matthews' exploits at the top level of the game. The 24-year-old has nearly 1500 runs in T20Is, along with 74 wickets to her name.

Following the Windies skipper's snub, England's Heather Knight was also overlooked by the franchises. The veteran cricketer, who leads the English team at the international level, is one of the most experienced players in the format, with nearly a century of appearances in T20Is, amassing over 1500 runs.

Joining Knight on the list of unsold players, South African skipper Sune Luus also failed to attract a bid in the auction. The Proteas all-rounder, who is one of the most sought-after players in the shortest format of the game, has appeared in 97 T20Is with over a thousand runs to her name and 49 scalps. 

The fourth and final international skipper, probably the most surprising one, to go unsold in the initial rounds of the auction was Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu. The Sri Lankan top-order batter was at the heart of her side's headline victory against hosts South Africa in the Women's T20 World Cup campaign opener earlier this month.

While all four elite skippers went unsold in the initial rounds of the auction, they are likely to find a home in the next round of auctions with plenty of slots remaining for all the participating teams.

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