The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced that the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 mini-auction will take place on Sunday, December 15. The much-awaited bidding event will see 120 star cricketers go under the hammer. Out of 120 cricketers, 91 are Indian players, 29 overseas stars, and three players from the Associate Nation, who will be available for the bidding event. 19 slots are available to grab the spot. Out of these 19 spots, five are reserved for overseas cricketers. In the uncapped category, 82 Indians and eight overseas players will be available during the WPL 2025 mini-auction. Pravin Tambe Appointed As Gujarat Giants' Bowling Coach Ahead of WPL 2025 Auction; Daniel Marsh Takes Over As Batting Coach.

Earlier, all five franchises submitted their retention and released players ahead of the WPL 2025 mini-auction. Star cricketers like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Ellyse Perry, Shafali Verma, and Meg Lanning were some of the star players retained by their respective teams. However, there were some notable absentees after the list was submitted ahead of the bidding event.

As per the WPL 2025 rules, each franchise can fill up to a maximum of 18 cricketers in their squad, including six overseas talents. Among all the five WPL teams, Gujarat Giants have the highest purse of INR 4.4 crore. Gujarat Giants need to pick four players, including two overseas, during the WPL 2025 mini-auction. UP Warriorz need to sign three cricketers, including one overseas. Delhi Capitals have a small purse with INR 2.5 crore. Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have four slots available. Capitals and Mumbai need only one overseas player while defending champions Bengaluru need none.

Cricketers Each Franchise Will Target During WPL 2025 Mini-Auction

1. Heather Knight: Veteran England women's national cricket team cricketer Heather Knight can attract big bids during the Women's Premier League 2025 mini-auction. Knight has an ample amount of experience in T20 cricket. She is also a game-changer and has played many match-winning knocks. Knight was also part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise during the WPL 2022-23 edition. She played 9 matches and scored 135 runs.

2. Sneh Rana: India women's cricket team off-spinner Sneh Rana is known for her clever bowling. In T20Is, Rana has bagged 24 wickets in 25 outings at a decent average of 6.21. Sneh Rana was part of the Gujarat Giants franchise for the WPL 2022-23 and 2023-24 editions. However, she didn't perform well and was released from the squad ahead of the WPL 2025 mini-auction. Rana might attract a few franchises as she can provide a solid off-spin bowling option in their line-up. Her spin bowling might become lethal in the upcoming edition.

3. Lauren Bell: England women's cricket team young speedster Lauren Bell has seen a good rise in white-ball cricket so far. Talking about the WT20Is, Bell has claimed 35 wickets in 27 outings for her country. Lauren Bell is known for her swing and good bounce. Although she hasn't made her debut in the Women's Premier League, the franchises might pick the rising fast bowler in the upcoming bidding event. She can be a great seam bowling option, which might attract big biddings during the WPL 2025 mini-auction. WPL 2025 Auction: List of Players Set to Go Under the Hammer During Women's Premier League Players Bidding Event Announced.

4. Alana King: Australia women's cricket team all-rounder Alana King is known for her leg-spin. The 29-year-old cricketer hasn't made her debut in the Women's Premier League till now. However, Alana King has a decent record in the shortest format. She has bagged 21 wickets in 22 matches. King can be a great asset in the spin bowling department. As a leg-spinner, she can give a variety to the attack, which might prompt franchises to go after her during the WPL 2025 mini-auction.

5. Deandra Dottin: Great West Indies women's cricket team all-rounder Deandra Dottin might go big in the WPL 2025 auction. Deandra Dottin has ample experience in white-ball cricket. The veteran all-rounder is known for her superb batting and can also provide crucial overs with the ball. Deandra Dottin can change the match in her team's favour with both bat and ball. She will be one of the main targets for every franchise during the WPL 2025 mini-auction.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2024 11:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).