Indian opener Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive player in the Women's Premier League (WPL), going for a whopping Rs 3.4 crore to Royal Challenge Bangalore (RCB) during the auction for the inaugural edition of this competition. She was also the first player to be sold at the auctions and incited a bidding war between Mumbai Indians (MI) and RCB at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on February 13.
RCB's Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson, speaking after the auction, suggested that the Team India vice-captain, who has also captained the side in the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, is a potential candidate for captaining this team.
"Smriti has got plenty of captaincy experience. She is an Indian player and knows the conditions well," said Hesson during the press conference. "So, I think it is highly likely but I guess in a leadership group you need senior players around you to contribute. We have got three highly experienced international players."
Mandhana, known for her aggressive approach with the bat, missed the opening game of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup after suffering a finger injury.
With the auction taking place in the middle of the marquee event, the team chose to screen it together, and when Mandhana's bidding war ended with RCB winning the bid, there was a rapturous shout from her teammates as they surrounded her in celebration.
Speaking after her bumper deal, she said, "We have been watching the auction of men's. It is such a big moment for women to have an auction of this sort. The whole thing is exacting. (RCB ki legacy hi kaafi hai) RCB's legacy is big, they have built a big fan base. Hope we both can together build a big team. Namaskara Bengaluru, excited to wear the red and gold and aim for the cup."
