WPL 2024: Top 5 Costly buys at Women's Premier League

The Women's Premier League is into its 2nd edition and is expected to be bigger and better than its inaugural season which was a major hit. WPL will not only give women's cricket worldwide the much-needed impetus but will also unearth and polish the Indian talent which has not yet surfaced to its full potential till now. WPL will play a similar in transforming the landscape of women's cricket as IPL did with men's cricket and made it a more commercialized commodity.

WPL has already been a commercially viable proposition for the Indian Cricket Board as it raked in 4,670 crore from the sale of the five franchises before the inaugural season. Additionally, ICB also mopped in 951 crores from selling the broadcasting rights of the WPL for five years to Viacom 18.

With the influx of such huge money in women’s cricket, its trickle effect can be seen in the earnings of the modern women cricketers who play in the coveted WPL. Although, it money that the modern women players are getting is much more than they used to get back in the day it is expected to rise exponentially as the tournament gets bigger and stronger.

Further in this article, let's discover who are the top five players who earn the most currently in WPL:

5. Jemimah Rodrigues

Jemimah Rodrigues is another Indian star who is seen as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Although she has played some scintillating. The 23-year-old Mumbai batter started her international career at the tender age of 17 with a debut in ODIs and T20Is. Though she has played some classy knocks in international cricket she is yet to blossom and unleash her true potential in international cricket. Jemimah Rodrigues was picked up by the Delhi Capital for 2.2 crore in 2023.

4. Deepti Sharma

Deepti Sharma is one of the most talented all-rounders going around in women’s cricket. She is a wicket-taking option with the bowl with her canny off-spin bowling and can also play a match-winning innings with the bat in the middle order. In addition to that, she is a fantastic fielder too which makes her a complete package. Realizing her potential, the UP Warriorz franchise picked her in the squad for a heavy amount of 2.6 crore.

3. Natalie Sciver-Brunt

Natalie Sciver-Brunt is one of the most premium all-rounders going around in women’s cricket. Her ability to soak the pressure and remain calm in tense situations sets her apart from other cricketers. She played a pivotal role in leading Mumbai Indians to their first WPL trophy in the inaugural season which justified why she was paid a hefty 3.2 crore during the 2023 WPL auctions.

2. Ashleigh Gardner

Ashleigh Gardner is the 2nd highest-paid player in WPL history. The Australian all-rounder is well-known around the world for her crafty off-spinning bowling and power-hitting batting prowess. She has been a veteran all-rounder for Australia over the years and is known to change the match on its head with her all-round prowess which is why she was picked up by the Gujarat Giants for a staggering 3.2 crore. 

1. Smriti Mandhana

Smriti Mandhana has been the poster girl of Indian cricket for over the years now and her batting abilities have mesmerized cricket fans all around the world. The Southpaw batter known for her fine touch and elegance is the highest-paid player in the WPL history so far. She was picked in the first-ever auction of the WPL for a whopping amount of 3.4 crore by the Royal Challengers Bangalore.