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WPL 2023 Auction – MI Ropes In Harmanpreet Kaur For INR 1.7 Crores
By CricShots - Feb 13, 2023 4:10 pm
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The Indian skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur will be plying trade for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023. The Indian captain was bought out in a bidding war for a whopping INR 1.8 crore. MI beat competition from the Delhi Capitals (DC), UP Warriorz (UW), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to bag the premium buy.

Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet Kaur

Harmanpreet Kaur was the second player sold in the first-ever WPL auction after her deputy, Smriti Mandhana. The southpaw opener made history by being the first cricketer to go under the hammer in the auction to RCB for a whopping INR 3.4 crore. MI failed to sign Mandhana despite bidding up to INR 3.2 crore.

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Harmanpreet’s signing means that both the men’s and women’s captains of the Indian team will be playing for Mumbai Indians. Indian men’s team skipper Rohit Sharma plays for MI and has been part of their ranks since 2011. Rohit has led MI to win the converted title five times, which makes him the most successful skipper in IPL history.

Harmanpreet has been India’s T20I skipper since 2017 and was also named ODI skipper after Mithali Raj’s retirement in 2022. She led India to the final of the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup and was the captain of the side that secured a historic silver medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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Kaur has appeared in three Tests, 124 ODIs, and 147 T20Is for Team India. In the shortest formats of the game, she has amassed 2956 runs at an average of 28.15 with one century and nine half-centuries. Elsewhere, RCB has purchased Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, and Sophie Devine. Gujara Giants signed Ashleigh Gardner, while UP Warriors acquired Sophie Ecclestone.

Harmanpreet is currently leading India in the Women’s T20 World Cup and aiming to become the first Indian captain to win a senior women’s ICC title.