The Women Premier League has fast transformed into a force event, changing the meaning of women cricket with unprecedented monetary interests and international popularity. Since its introduction, the WPL has been characterized by heart throbbing battles over the auction with franchises spending millions in order to win the match with players well able to change the game way round. These extortionately high prices are not mere figures, they reflect the swelling commercial worth of women cricket and the identification of elite talent that can shape title contests. Be it the explosive openers or tactically versatile all-rounders, the costliest signings are a mix of established international experience, tactical skills and star appeal. With the league keeping its meteoric rise, it is time to explore the ten most bid players in the history of the WPL auction and see why they were worth every rupee and how it has brought a difference in the fortunes of their franchises. Top 10 Most Expensive Players in WPL History 1. Smriti Mandhana (India) – ₹3.40 Crore Image Source : BCCI Smriti Mandhana is left at the top alone. The stylish left-hander was sold off at the highest price in the WPL with RCB winning her services at an astonishing 3.40 crore in the first bid. Why? Mandhana is not only a batter, she is a statement. Her skills at deriving bowling attacks with graceful drives and bold pull shots endears her to box office gold. Other than the strokeplay, there is potential of leadership, big-match temperament and brand attractiveness that cuts across the cricket game. RCB had to have an anchor, someone to front their franchise with and someone who can produce every time. Mandhana ticked every box. Her sale price was an indication of faith in her as a player and icon, and solidified her position as the most desirable female cricketer. Also Read | The WPL Effect: How It’s Redefining Women’s Cricket 2. Deepti Sharma (India) – ₹3.20 Crore Image Source : BCCI The fact that Deepti Sharma has been able to reach 3.20 crore is an appreciation of continuous performance. This is an unusually talented off-spinner who can deliver with both bat and ball with the ability to produce genuine match-winning skills. Her tight bowling attacks are such that they dry up at the time of vital middle overs. Then she walks in and stabilizes collapses or accelerates finishes with calculated aggression. UP Warriorz knows her worth she is the end game weapon. Whether it is the tight totals defense or the imposing ones, Deepti offers a choice. Her ability to stay calm in tough moments has characterized white-ball campaigners in India and such stability was priced highly. All rounders such as Deepti are goldratt in smart franchises since they can solve two or more problems at a time. 3. Ashleigh Gardner (Australia) – 3.2Crores Image Source : BCCI Ashleigh Gardner is a jack of all cricketing explosives. Gujarat Giants paid 3,20 crore to the Australian star, hoping that she could affect the games in all three aspects. Gardner is the fierce batting--she can disembowel any bowling team by clean striking and daring the choice of a shot. Take away her off-spin on wicket which can break very important alliances and you have a game-changer. She is a complete package with her athleticism in the field. The thing is, that Gardner is consistent; she does not have good days, she has match-defining performances on regular basis. In T20 cricket where the balance is all, Gardner provides tactical flexibility which is worth the entire rupee price tag. 4. Nat Sciver-Brunt (England) - 3.20 Crore Image Source : BCCI Nat Sciver-Brunt is the final finisher in the field of cricket and Mumbai Indians paid a price of 3.20 crore in order to acquire that type of a clutch gene. As the pressure builds, and wickets are dropped, Sciver-Brunt enters with ice-cold calm and methodically manages to build innings that are winning impossible matches. She hits her ball clean and makes bowlers sweat; she delivers vital breakthroughs with her seam bowling. Much of the white-ball supremacy of England owes to her. Mumbai knew that they were not merely purchasing runs, but a certain type of mentality, a person who runs well when the stakes are the greatest. She could judge any situation, change tactics, and perform under intense scrutiny and made her worth a paisa. Champions also require players with back-up on the line. 5. Amelia Kerr (New Zealand) 3 Crore Image Source : Getty Images The 3.00 crore valuation of Amelia Kerr is an indication of leg-spin wizardry and batting substance. This New Zealand star has misleading variations, which disorient even the finest batters her googlies and sliders produce doubt and dismissal. However, Kerr is not a one-dimensional character; she adds valuable runs to the order, usually playing salvage with grimy alliances. The precise fact that she has manifested as a true all-rounder has made the difference in her auction appeal. Franchises know that leg-spinners are the gold dust in T 20s where the run flow is controlled and the results are determined. The powerplay and middle overs or death situation bowling of Kerr give captains an amazing tactical flexibility. She is a player who warrants high investment due to the mere versatility and threat to the wicket. 6. Deepti Sharma (India) – ₹2.60 Crore Image Source : BCCI Her principle value was demonstrated in the first 2.60 crore commercial deal with UP Warriorz during the first season of WPL. Franchises appreciated her as a commodity that could not be done away with even before her price shot up. Her off-spin is like a suffocating blanket to the opposition batting lineups, which hardly lets much through the boundary and frequently threatens the wicket. She gives the bat stability and clever rotation, commonly sewing together key partnerships that will change the flow. The thing which makes Deepti different is cricketing intelligence, she reads a situation on her instinct, changing her strategy according to the situation in the match. UP Warriorz had constructed their team around this kind of reliability as they knew that regulars would win more games as opposed to showmen. That initial investment was recouped by her second rise in price. 7. Shikha Pandey (India) – ₹2.40 Crore Image Source : Associated Press Shikha Pandey led 2.40 crore with seam bowling and death-overs skills. In T20 cricket, bowlers, who are able to withstand totals under the most pressurizing situation, are very valuable assets. Shikha provides exactly that-yorkers cut like surgery, slower balls masquerading as brilliants and being calm when it is necessary to be. Her international cricket experience transports to mature performances in which she hardly ever panics. Franchises appreciate bowlers that know the situations of matches, the times when to attack and when to hold. Shikha tactically proves to be invaluable as she is capable of bowling various phases which include; new ball, middle overs, death. Her cost is based on rarity; good Indian pace bowlers who are consistent in supplying are important assets in the Indian women cricketing auctions. 8. Jemimah Rodrigues (India) 2.20 Crore Image Source : BCCI Jemimah Rodrigues is an elegant and flexible worth 2.20 crore. This middle-order maestro is technically sound, an innovator at the stroke, as much at home defending the innings as he or she is attacking. Delhi Capitals put their money in her versatility, which could be used to play a wide range of roles: stabilizer when initial wickets were taken, aggressor when power plays were made, or finisher when the run chases were to occur. Jemimiah is a very tempered person; she does not seem to be pressured by anything and she still retains her sanity even though the situations are worsening. Her increasing international reputation in the field of cricket coupled with high and steady domestic results was what made the auction worth irresistible. Intelligent teams recognize that flexible batters who can perform in various situations offer strategic benefits that inflexible specialists cannot offer. Jemimiah is the epitome of such a flexibility. 9. Shafali Verma (India) – ₹2.00 Crore Image Source : BCCI The 2 crore price offered by Shafali Verma has indications of explosive potential and fearless style. Not many players rush with ball one with such uninhibited aggression. Shafali breaks down bowling attacks before they can rest, reducing powerplays to demolition derbies, with bold strikeplay which contravenes common sense. Delhi Capitals realized that it was not only the runs they were buying but the impetus, the energy and the upper hand. Critics of Shafali burst when he fires. Her young age implies that there is something not exhausted yet; she is already destructive but she is still developing. Well, it is not very consistent--explosive beginnings have to be more volatile to create an effect. But franchises do not mind such trade-off as when Shafali clicks, she alone changes matches results in a series of shocking overlays in a few electrifying overs. 10. Keshavee Gautam (India) – ₹2.00 Crore Image Source : BCCI The breakthrough of 2 crore rupees by Keshavee Gautam shocked a lot of people but showed a brilliant long-term thinking. This versatile player who was being noticed in Gujarat Giants due to stable domestic performance with stable batting backup and trustworthy bowling changes. Although Keshavee does not have the global track record of more expensive acquisitions, Keshavee is an investment in potential over existing stardom. Her price tag implies franchise faith in the development course- they are investing in the growth in the future but not the reputation at the moment. These investments sometimes go wrong but they may also uncover some undiscovered gems before the prices get out of control. Gujarat bet on Keshavee response ability once the opportunity created and he knew that finding underestimated talent before others notice it would give an edge. Also Read | Top 10 Players with Most Runs in Women’s ODI World Cup History Conclusion These astronomical auction prices are symbolic of the transformational process of women in the cricket business, as being neglected to being unrecognizable. This has radically changed the economics of the sport with the players getting the financial reward they rightfully deserve and young girls worldwide having such aspirational role models. These ten players are a symbol of excellence in the various skill areas - explosive batter, cunning bowler, clutch player and versatility in tactics. Their prices are not only values, they are words of the broadened horizons of cricket and the commercial feasibility of female sports. With the expansion of the WPL, these records are likely to fall. However these pioneers made the standard, and it was proven that great talent must be great investment. This success of the league in the end benefits all the people: the players get life-changing amounts of money, the franchises form competitive teams and the fans get to watch world-class cricket. It is the beautiful cycle that these expensive signings have contributed towards.