Simran Shaikh attracted the spotlight in the WPL 2025 auction in Bengaluru after Gujarat Giants signed her for a whopping Rs 1.9 crore on Sunday, December 15. The 22-year-old who had a base price of Rs 30 lakh, saw an intense bidding war between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants before the latter managed to sign her. With that, Simran Shaikh became the most expensive player at the WPL 2025 auction, surpassing the Rs 1.7 crore that Gujarat Giants spent on West Indies star Deandra Dottin. In this article, we shall take a look at some facts about the 22-year-old. Deandra Dottin, Controversially Excluded by Gujarat Giants Days Before Inaugural Women's Premier League, Acquired by Franchise for INR 1.7 Crore at WPL 2025 Auction.

The Gujarat Giants' management was pretty delighted after having signed Simran Shaikh and head coach Michael Klinger later also shared that it was her strike rate and ability to hit the big shots which stood out and will prove to be crucial for the franchise in WPL 2025. Gujarat Giants ended the WPL 2025 auction with a total of 18 players, which includes six overseas stars. Gujarat Giants Team in WPL 2025: Players Bought by GG-W at Women's Premier League Auction, Check Full Squad.

Simran Shaikh Quick Facts:

#Simran Shaikh was born on January 12, 2002 in Mumbai

#She hails from Dharavi and had started with playing gully cricket before joining the United Cricketers Club in Mumbai's Cross Maidan, as per The Quint

#She had earlier played for UP Warriorz in WPL 2023 after being picked for Rs 10 lakh

#In 2023 WPL, Simran Shaikh did not have a good time as she could only score 29 runs in nine appearances, finishing with a strike-rate of just 60.41

#Besides her aggressive batting, Simran Shaikh also bowls leg-break

#Having gone unsold at the WPL 2024 auction last year, Simran Shaikh made a remarkable comeback scoring 176 runs for Mumbai in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy recently

Simran Shaikh will look to repay the faith that Gujarat Giants have shown on her. Gujarat Giants have had forgettable seasons in the Women's Premier League, finishing right at the bottom on both occasions, managing a total of four wins out of 16 games played in two editions. They will look to have an improved performance and aim at winning the title in WPL 2025.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 15, 2024 07:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).