Women’s T20 World Cup 2023: 5 unsold players from WPL auction who performed well in tournament

Tazmin Brits. (Photo by Julian Herbert/Getty Images)

On February 13, 2023, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction was held at the Jio World Center in Mumbai. The event went remarkable for Smriti Mandhana, Ashleigh Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Deepti Sharma, and Jemimah Rodrigues as they succeeded in acquiring huge sums from the franchises and became the most expensive players at the event.

After witnessing these players going big at the auction, supporters are excited to watch the tournament next month. Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also announced the WPL schedule and now these names will look to deliver their best in the maiden season of the competition.

However, some players who were expected to do well at the auction failed to make it to any WPL squad after getting unsold. Going through their experience and potential, it could be said that these players should’ve got signed at the event.

In the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup, these fabled names are looking exceptional and are also featured on the list of players who are dominating the tournament. Noting the performances of these players, some franchises might regret their decision of not picking them at the auction.

Here are five unsold players from WPL auction who have done well in the Women’s T20 World Cup:

5. Ayabonga Khaka

Ayabonga Khaka(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

Ayabonga Khaka is one of the senior players in the South Africa squad. She is active in the international circuit since 2012 and has won a lot of games for her national team with her exceptional bowling performances. In T20 Internationals (T20Is), she has claimed 47 wickets for South Africa in 49 matches at an impressive economy of 6.28.

Since 2020, she is active in league cricket too as she participated in the Women’s T20 Challenge representing Supernovas and Velocity in 2020-21 and 2022 respectively. Currently, she is a part of Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League since 2022. Despite having vast international and league experience, she didn’t get any buyers at the 2023 WPL player auction.

However, her performance in the Women’s T20 World Cup might give a shock to all the WPL franchises. In the marquee event, she became the highest wicket-taker for her team picking seven wickets in four matches at an economy of 5.33. In the crucial semi-final game against England, she grabbed 4/29 figures with the ball and took the team home.

4. Lea Tahuhu

Lea Tahuhu. (Photo by Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

Lea Tahuhu is known for her incredible medium-fast bowling skills. She started her T20I career for New Zealand in 2011 and became an important member of the team due to her excellent bowling performance. In December 2017, she was featured in the ICC Women’s T20 Team of the Year.

In the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), she has played six seasons so far and has also clinched 57 wickets in 70 matches at a decent economy of 6.12. Along with WBBL, she also plays The Hundred Competition (Women) of England for Manchester Originals. At the WPL auction, she registered her name with her base price of INR 30 lakh.

Looking at her experience and achievements, she was expected to get signed at a huge amount. However, that didn’t happen as no franchise showed interest in her and she went unsold at the auction. In the  Women’s T20 League, the 32-year-old looked solid for her national team as she is the fourth-highest wicket-taker. In four games of the competition, Tahuhu hunted eight scalps at an economy of 6.33.

3. Suzie Bates

Suzie Bates. (Photo Source: Jan Kruger-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

Suzie Bates is an incredible batter in Women’s T20 Internationals. The stylish Kiwi opener is the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals, scoring 3,820 runs with a ton and 25 half-centuries in 143 matches at a strike rate of 109.70. Back in 2006, the veteran broke into international cricket and also became an important figure in the national squad.

At the WPL auction, Bates also submitted her name to go under the hammer with her base price of INR 30 lakh. Considering her immense experience and brilliant batting numbers in T20Is, she was one of the favourites to bag a contract with a hefty amount. Along with international cricket, her league experience was also making her case strong as she has played quality cricket in the WBBL and The Hundred Competition.

However, all these positive facts didn’t help her at the 2023 Player Auction as all the franchises ignored her. In the ongoing Women’s T20 World Cup, she exuded confidence with her bat and made it to the list of leading run-getters in the tournament. Amassing 137 in four matches at a strike rate of 121.23, she ended up becoming the highest run-scorer for her team in the tournament.

2. Laura Wolvaardt

Laura Wolvaardt. (Photo Source: ICC)

In South Africa’s journey to the final of the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup, Laura Wolvaardt played a crucial role. In the tournament, she has accumulated 169 runs in five games thus far, at a strike rate of 100.69. With these jaw-dropping numbers, she is also the fourth-leading run-scorer in the mega event.

Wolvaardt also notched up a half-century against England in the semi-final match and helped her team register an incredible victory. Earlier, this month, the youngster also took part in the 2023 WPL Player Auction with her base price of INR 30 lakh and went unsold. In her national team, the 23-year-old’s role is vital as she is responsible to deliver decent starts to the team as an opener.

So far, the young batter has appeared in 52 WT20Is for South Africa and has amassed 1,018 runs with six half-centuries. Recently, she also contributed to her WBBL team Adelaide Strikers to clinch the prestigious trophy for the first time. In the competition, she became the highest run-scorer for her team scoring 403 runs in 16 matches with a half-century at a strike rate of 106.05.

1.  Tazmin Brits

Tazmin Brits. (Photo by Julian Herbert/Getty Images)

After getting ignored by the franchises at the WPL auction, Tazmin Brits displayed excellence with her bat in the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup. In the colossal T20 tournament, she has hit 176 runs so far with two fifties in five matches at a strike rate of 108.64. Currently, she is also the second-highest run-getter in the tournament after England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt.

In her team’s semi-final victory against England, she chipped in with her 68 runs (55 deliveries) and became the Player of the Match. With her magnificent match-winning knock, the 32-year-old helped her team to seal the final berth and also proved that she has the potential to dominate bowlers in the shortest form of the sport too due to her batting capability and experience.

At the WPL Player Auction, the South Africa opener’s name was announced by the auctioneer Mallika Sagar in the second round of the auction. Her base price at the event was INR 30 lakh and she would have expected the buyers to pay attention to her opening batting skills and pick her for the inaugural edition of the WPL. However, she faced a snub from all the franchises and made it to the list of players who failed to get picked at the event.

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