Top 5 overseas players to watch out for in the WPL 2024 auction

In less than a few hours, Mumbai will host the Women’s Premier League 2024 Auction as the five franchises will look to add some starry names to their squad ahead of the season. 

As we talk about the big names taking the auction room by storm, an important category that will have a lot of eyes on them will be the overseas players, who are going to play a crucial role in the upcoming edition of the tournament. Their towering presence combined with the international experience that they bring to the fore makes them a value addition to any side. As we prepare to dive head-on into the auction, here are five overseas players to watch out for.

1.    Dani Wyatt

Danielle Nicole Wyatt is one of the serious contenders who would be hoping to find her calling in the WPL as she continues to impress in the international circuit. Promoted to the opening spot of the English women’s T20I side, Wyatt impressed heavily. A couple of innings post her promotion in the batting order she went onto blast a 100 off just 57 balls, propelling England to a feisty victory. From the 150 WT20Is that she has been a part of, she has amassed 2602 runs at a strike rate of 127.42. To add to her glistening laurels, she has already smashed a couple of centuries in the shortest format of the game.

2.    Chamari Athapaththu

A mainstay in the Sri Lankan international team, Chamari Athapaththu has been spearheading the side for more than a decade now. Making her T20I debut in 2009 against India, she went on to impress heavily with her all-round flair. Not only has she been a pivotal figure in international cricket but her contribution in the WBBL has also been enviable. From the 51 matches that she has been a part of, she has smashed 1063 runs while claiming 13 wickets, and given that she finished as the Player of the Tournament from WBBL 2023, she could be in massive demand.

3.    Deandra Dottin

“I decided to go after everything,” quoted Dottin after smashing the fastest T20I century chronicled both in men’s and women’s cricket back then in 2010. Not only did she become the fastest centurion in the shortest format of the game but she was also the first woman centurion in T20Is. Dottin’s explosive striking flair helped her register another smashing half-century against Australia in 2009 that came from just 22 balls, adding to her long list of glorious knocks. She has been a part of 127 WT20Is from which she has amassed 2697 runs while also proving her utility as medium fast bowler, racking up 62 wickets in the format. Her credentials in the WBBL has also been impressive with 786 runs scored at a strike rate of 106.94 while 31 scalps claimed by her makes her an impeccable pick for any side of the tournament. In the recently concluded WCPL, she went on to score 107 runs from the three matches that she played while claiming a wicket too.

4.    Shabnim Ismail

Nicknamed the Speed Demon, the South Africa express quick, Shabnim Ismail, will certainly be a name to watch out for in the upcoming auctions. One of the most seasoned campaigners in the women’s circuit, Shabnim has claimed 123 wickets in WT20Is while bowling at a miserly economy rate of 5.77. Alongside being a proven wicket-taker, Shabnim is also touted as the fastest bowler in women’s cricket who can rack up speeds of 123 to 128 clicks consistently. With 51 wickets in WBBL so far alongside an impressive tally of seven wickets on her very first rodeo in the WCPL, the speed demon from South Africa will certainly have her WPL suitors queuing up in Mumbai.

5.    Annabel Sutherland

With a glorious cricketing pedigree preceding her, Annabel Sutherland has been making all the right noises since her inception in the shorter format of the game in 2020. A validated hard-hitter of the cherry alongside being a clinical wicket-taker, Annabel Sutherland certainly introduces a sense of poise in any side of the world when it comes to women’s cricket. Despite nascent numbers in international cricket, franchise cricket has seen Sutherland breathing fire in the 22 yards with a smile on her face. In the WBBL, she has registered 1187 runs at a strike rate of 104.67 with three fifties under her belt while also claiming 82 scalps at an economy rate of 7.16.