The stage is set for an exhilarating third season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) T20, following a high-stakes women’s auction held in New Delhi on July 1. Reflecting the rapid rise and immense potential of women’s cricket in the capital, the four competing franchises went all out to secure a mix of established names and bright young prospects, locking in well-rounded squads for the upcoming tournament.
The auction room was filled with strategic tension, characterized by fierce bidding duels and the clever use of Right to Match (RTM) cards. As teams looked to build on the momentum of previous seasons, the financial backing and faith shown in the players underscored the tournament’s growing reputation as a premier domestic platform.
Left-arm spinner Parunika Sisodia emerged as the biggest winner of the day. She triggered a major bidding war before finally being secured by the East Delhi Riders for a hefty ₹14 lakh. The Riders also added plenty of muscle to their lineup by bringing on board Simran Dil Bahadur.
Not far behind was all-rounder Arushi Goel, who commanded a brilliant ₹11 lakh bid from the Central Delhi Queens. Goel is set to form a formidable partnership with the Queens’ retained marquee all-rounder, Soni Yadav.
Meanwhile, the North Delhi Strikers focused heavily on sharpening their bowling department. They successfully snapped up Priya Mishra to bowl alongside their retained marquee asset, Ayushi Soni. Over at the South Delhi Superstarz, the focus was on batting firepower. They landed Indian international Priya Punia, who will join forces with retained India U-19 sensation Shweta Sehrawat in what promises to be an explosive batting order.
The top seven costliest players at the auction were:
- Parunika Sisodia: East Delhi Riders (₹14 lakh)
- Arushi Goel: Central Delhi Queens (₹11 lakh)
- Sumiti Soni: Central Delhi Queens (₹8 lakh)
- Simran Dil Bahadur: East Delhi Riders (₹8 lakh)
- Purva Siwach: East Delhi Riders (₹7 lakh)
- Samaira Raghav: North Delhi Strikers (₹7 lakh)
- Pragya Rawat: East Delhi Riders (₹7 lakh)
It wasn’t just about the new signings; teams also showed great loyalty to their proven performers from the previous edition. The Right to Match (RTM) option came into play perfectly for a couple of franchises looking to keep their core intact.
The East Delhi Riders spent ₹7 lakh to bring back Pragya Rawat, keeping her experience in their ranks. Similarly, the North Delhi Strikers shell out ₹7 lakh to exercise their RTM card for all-rounder Samaira Raghav, ensuring they didn’t lose a key piece of their puzzle.
With the auction now wrapped up, all four teams look incredibly balanced, loaded with both international pedigree and raw domestic talent. If the drama at the auction table was any indication, cricket fans in Delhi are in for a highly competitive and thrilling season of T20 cricket.
Complete Squads:
Central Delhi Queens: Soni Yadav, Arushi Goel, Monika, Deeksha Sharma, Nidhi Mahto, Sumiti Soni, Medhavi Bidhuri, Ritisha Khushi, Nidhi Tanwar, Kanika Mathur, R Priyadarshni, Riya Kondal, Saachi, Jyoti, Mallika Khatri, Neha Parmar, Puja Halder, Akshita Jain, Nishtha Bisht, Kashvi Kumar, Chelcy Yadav, Tanu Chauhan
East Delhi Riders: Parunika Sisodia, Simran Dil Bahadur, Bharti Rawal, Pragya Rawat, Purva Siwach, Vanshika Lila, Aarna Dudeja, Goyinka Sharma, Mahi Chauhan, Nilanchal Nerwal, Sonakshi, Tamanna Singh, Suhana Attri, Ishika, Riti Tomar, Hridya Sharma, Neha Chhillar, Urvashi Gupta, Jasleen Kaur, Geet Rarhana, Yashasvi Dhiman, Rajshri Yadav
North Delhi Strikers: Ayushi Soni, Priya Mishra, Nazma, Upasana Yadav, Riya Shokeen, Shivi Sharma, Anshu Nagar, Archana, Reshika Beniwal, Samaira Raghav, Samridhi Dhingra, Armeet Kaur, Nandini Giri, Priyanshi, Ananya Bhardwaj, Manshi Garg, Shivani Jangid, Shweta Singh, Nancy Tyagi, Apeksha Anand, Jhilmil, Anamika
South Delhi Superstarz: Priya Punia, Shweta Sehrawat, Ekta Bhadana, Tanisha Singh, Disha Nagar, Mayuri Singh, Nishika Singh, Himakshi Chaudhary, Tanishqa Singh, Aarti Kumari, Chhavi Gupta, Kashish, Ananya Pahuja, Avleen Kaur, Harshita, Mitali R, Geetanjali, Pragati Bisht, Anamika Kumari, Yashika, Roopali Vishwa Mohan
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