The Women’s Premier League auction in New Delhi produced its usual mix of intensity and expectation, but amid the swirl of high-value signings and international stars, a quiet landmark moment unfolded. Sixteen-year-old Deeya Yadav, a precocious talent from Haryana, became the youngest cricketer ever to be bought by a WPL franchise when Delhi Capitals secured her at her base price of Rs 10 lakh.
For Deeya, the move to Delhi Capitals feels less like a new beginning and more like a homecoming. Her journey over the past three years has run alongside that of Shafali Verma, India’s fearless opener and now her Delhi teammate once again. The bond between them surfaced immediately after the auction when Shafali, fresh from being named player of the match in the recent World Cup final, welcomed her online. Before the words appeared, it was clear this was a senior player recognising a younger self in the teenager now joining her.
Shafali’s message carried that familiarity: “Congratulations, Diya, welcome to Delhi Capitals,” she wrote on Instagram. Their shared history explains the warmth. Deeya has spent multiple seasons watching Shafali set the tone at the top of the order for Haryana, absorbing her method and temperament in pressure situations.
When Deeya reflects on those early influences, she begins by speaking of what she observed during their time together, “We have played for Haryana together. I always learn how to be aggressive during batting and how to handle pressure situations.”
Her understanding of Shafali’s style goes deeper, and she expands on that mindset shift, “She (Shafali) plays really well under pressure. I developed the intent of hitting when I started playing with her.”
That intent did not take long to materialise on the field. Two years ago in Raipur, during the Under-15 Women’s One-Day Cup, she produced an innings that marked her out as a once-in-a-generation age-group batter—an unbeaten 213 in just 125 balls against Tripura. It was that innings, and everything that followed, that first drew Delhi Capitals’ interest.
The franchise had not arrived at Thursday’s decision casually. Their leadership had been monitoring her for a long time, and the assessment from CEO Sunil Gupta captured that continuity. Before offering his comments, it helped to understand that this evaluation dated back to her very first steps in competitive cricket.
His first reflection emphasised that earliest phase, “We have been tracking Deeya since she burst onto the U-15 circuit.”
He went on to outline the next phase of their evaluation, explaining that the management kept an eye on her once she stepped into senior competitions. As he put it, “We watched her closely in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy this year and were very impressed.”
Closing his thoughts, he offered a broader view of how seamlessly she has risen through the ranks, noting with clear approval, “She has taken her transition from age-group to senior cricket like fish to water.”
Statistics from the 2023–24 domestic season justify that belief. In the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, Deeya finished as Haryana’s second-highest run-scorer with 298 runs across nine matches. She then carried that form into the Inter Zonal T20 competition, scoring 151 runs in six games at a strike rate of 149.50 for North Zone, who reached the final before losing to West Zone. Her story traces back to Pune, where her earliest memories involve following her father—himself a former Delhi Under-19 player—around the cricket field, picking up a bat before she turned seven.
Her addition comes in the middle of a broader strengthening of Delhi Capitals’ squad. The franchise entered the auction with an experienced Indian core already intact through the retention of Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues. Their primary focus this year was reinforcement, and they returned with a group that blended established performers with rising talent.
N. Shree Charani, who debuted for Delhi last season, was brought back after a bidding tussle for Rs 1.3 crore; she had been one of India’s top bowlers in the ODI World Cup, finishing with 14 wickets. Sneh Rana was added for Rs 50 lakh after her influential all-round contributions during India’s title-winning run. Laura Wolvaardt, who led South Africa to the ODI World Cup final and ended that tournament as its highest scorer with 571 runs in nine matches, joined the team for Rs 1.10 crore.
Chinelle Henry came aboard for Rs 1 crore, bringing with her the distinction of holding the joint-fastest fifty in WPL history. The franchise also added former South African opener Lizelle Lee for Rs 30 lakh while reacquiring Taniya Bhatia for Rs 30 lakh and Minnu Mani for Rs 40 lakh. Emerging players Mamatha Madiwala, Nandani Sharma and Lucy Hamilton were signed at their respective base prices of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh.
Delhi Capitals squad: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Chinnelle Henry, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Taniya Bhatia, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani.
(Quotes sourced from The Indian Express)
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