WPL 2025 Auction: Nandini and Kamalini Expected to be Top Picks

New Delhi, Dec 14 (NationPress) On Sunday, the third Women’s Premier League (WPL) player auction will see five teams vying to fill 19 slots overall from the pool of 120 players and complete their squads for the 2025 season at the premises of ITC Gardenia in Bengaluru.

While 29 overseas players have signed up for the auction and are in fray to fill just five slots, the attention in the upcoming mini auction will be more on 91 Indian players – nine capped and the rest uncapped.

Nisarg Naik, a cricket talent scout based in Mumbai, has been traveling across the country since late 2021 scouting for women cricketers and has started recommending players to WPL franchises prior to the inaugural season in 2023. Naik believes wicketkeeper-batters Nandini Kashyap and G Kamalini are likely to be the most coveted names in the 2025 WPL auction due to their impressive performances recently.

“I will keep the names of Nandini and Kamalini as them being sought after by every WPL franchise in the auction. Speaking with the teams’ scouts during the U19 tri-series in Pune, many have taken note of Kamalini, who’s not a stranger to those following women’s cricket,” he stated.

“I witnessed her play live during the matches (in the tri-series in Pune), and I was thoroughly impressed by her talent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see teams chasing after her. There’s a lack of impactful left-handed batters in Indian cricket after Smriti Mandhana. If any team invests in her for the long term and hones her skills, she could be the next big star,” he added.

“Regarding Nandini, I must mention that she didn’t have a stellar past two years in the domestic arena. However, she performed well in the Uttarakhand Premier League this year and has shown consistent performances in the domestic circuit. Though she needs to work on her running between wickets, she is a very capable player with a strike rate exceeding 100, which teams will definitely consider,” Naik remarked during an exclusive chat with IANS.

Nandini emerged as the leading run-scorer in the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy and was the third-highest run-getter in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy while competing for Uttarakhand. On Friday, she received her first call-up to the Indian team for the T20I series against the West Indies, commencing in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Kamalini accumulated 311 runs in eight matches, leading Tamil Nadu to victory in the U19 Women’s T20 Trophy in October. She further excelled by scoring a dazzling 79 in the U19 tri-series final for India B against South Africa and is currently in Malaysia competing for India in the inaugural U19 Asia Cup, which starts on Sunday.

From the perspective of team requirements in the auction, the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have a clear task: acquire four Indian players, with no overseas slots to fill from a budget of INR 3.25 crore.

Naik suggests that RCB will likely aim to strengthen their bowling lineup and add a second wicketkeeper. He identifies India U19 skipper Niki Prasad, pacer Joshita VJ, keeper-batter Prathyoosha Kumar, Mumbai off-spinner Jagravi Pawar, and Delhi’s Pratika Rawal, who received an India call-up for ODIs against the West Indies, as potential targets for RCB.

“Joshita could be an excellent fit for RCB since she was even invited for their trials, as Smriti Mandhana personally wanted to assess her bowling. Moreover, Niki Prasad from Karnataka, who participated in the U19 tri-series, is on the radar of numerous teams, not just RCB,” he asserted.

“Players like Prathyoosha, a local Karnataka talent from the NICE Academy run by Arjun Dev, who exhibits a versatile batting style, along with Jagravi and Pratika, could also be strong contenders for them.”

For the two-time runners-up Delhi Capitals, who need to fill four slots, including one overseas player with a budget of INR 2.5 crore, Naik believes their priority might be acquiring a backup wicketkeeper, a hard-hitting batter, and an additional fast bowler.

“Aside from Nandini, they might target Sushma Verma, who was called for their trials. She is a capped Indian player who has shown good form lately. While Taniyaa Bhatia is solid behind the stumps, her batting typically comes after number ten, which is not ideal. They could also pursue Danielle Gibson, a known power-hitter,” he opined.

“Ireland’s Orla Prendergast could also be a viable option, although I suspect DC may target a more experienced overseas player. Someone like Kim Garth could also fit the bill for them.”

For the 2023 WPL champions Mumbai Indians, who have to fill four slots, including an overseas position with INR 2.65 crore, Naik believes they will aim to recruit players they have monitored within the domestic circuit.

“After parting ways with Issy Wong, I think they could bring in either Lauren Cheatle or Lauren Bell. They may also consider Akshita Maheshwari, a pace all-rounder from Rajasthan, who was the leading wicket-taker in last year’s U23 ODI tournament. Mumbai Indians were the only team to invite her for trials, and I’ve heard she impressed Kiran More. Thus, she could be a unique selection for Mumbai Indians in the auction,” Naik suggested.

“Another candidate is Sonal Thakur from Himachal Pradesh, a leg-spinner who bats at number three and performed well in this year’s Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. There’s also Sanskriti Gupta from Madhya Pradesh, a left-handed batter who plays at number six and combines power-hitting with off-spin bowling,” he added.

“As a backup wicketkeeper (to Yastika Bhatia), they might consider Shipra Giri, who participated in the MI trials alongside Prathyoosha and Nandini. Bhavika Ahire from Maharashtra, who was part of the U19 tri-series in Pune (and is currently in Malaysia for the Asia Cup), also caught my eye with her impressive batting skills.”

“Other potential targets include Raghvi Bist from Uttarakhand, primarily a batter (who received a call-up for the T20Is against the West Indies), and Tanushree Sarkar from Bengal, who was also invited for MI trials.”

From the perspective of UP Warriorz, Naik expressed concern regarding the team’s batting balance due to an overabundance of players who are primarily openers: Kiran Navgire, Alyssa Healy, Shweta Sehrawat, Uma Chetry, Vrinda Dinesh, and Deepti Sharma.

So, how will they approach acquiring three players, including an overseas one, with a budget of INR 3.9 crore? “For a wicketkeeper, they could pursue Nandini and Kamalini. Sarah Glenn and Danielle Gibson are also promising options, particularly with Jon Lewis and the England connections being present,” he noted.

“For Indian players, they might consider Salonee Dangore, a leg-spin all-rounder who previously played for Madhya Pradesh and is currently making a mark with Chhattisgarh. Additionally, I have recommended Akshita Maheshwari as a pace-bowling option. Let’s not overlook Mamta Rani from Punjab – she may not be widely recognized, but she is a solid player with good batting skills and impressive economy rate,” Naik stated.

As for the Gujarat Giants, who have finished last in the previous two WPL seasons, they are looking to fill four slots, including acquiring two overseas players with a budget of INR 4.4 crore.

“I suspect Sneh Rana will return due to her experience. It seems strategic for the team to buy her back at a reduced price. They could also target Orla Prendergast from Ireland, and since they lacked a backup wicketkeeper-batter in the first two seasons, they should consider Theertha Sathish from the UAE. However, given their established top four, she would slot into the middle order if selected,” he explained.

“They might also pursue Jagravi from Mumbai and consider Tejal Hasabnis, who can bat in the middle order alongside Kashvee Gautam. Additionally, they could explore Deandra Dottin as an overseas choice, despite her previous issues with the franchise. Ultimately, Gujarat requires a power-hitter to bolster their lineup, and although Kashvee has performed at the domestic level, they need someone like Deandra to fill that role,” Naik concluded.