BCCI announces WPL auction date and location, salary cap set for INR 13.5 crore

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the date and location for the upcoming Women's Premier League 2024 (WPL) auction on Friday, November 24. The player auction for the 2nd edition of the tournament will take place in Mumbai on December 9. 

After the successful launch of India's T20 franchise cricket for women cricketers, the upcoming season is expected to be full of grandeur. WPL has set INR 13.5 crore as a salary cap for each team to spend in the upcoming auction, which might lead to bidding wars for the big-name signings. 

The WPL revealed the list of all retained and released players by all five teams last month. Overall 29 players were released while 60 players, including 21 overseas stars, were retained by teams. Gujarat Giants shocked the cricket world by releasing 11 players, including English star Sophia Dunkley and Australia's Annabel Sutherland, Kim Garth and Georgia Wareham.

The defending champions Mumbai Indians released five players including Heather Graham and Sonam Yadav and will have the lowest budget available in their purse for the WPL 2024 player auction. Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) also made big changes by releasing the likes of Megan Schutt and Dane van Niekerk. 

Last season's runner-up Delhi Capitals retained the majority of their squad and released only three players Tara Norris, Jasia Akhter and Aparna Mondal. Lucknow-based UP Warriorz released the star Indian all-rounder Devika Vaidya and the South African pacer Shabnim Ismail and will enter the auction with INR 4 crore in the purse. 

Meanwhile, the BCCI is yet to announce the venues and schedule for the 2024 edition of the tournament. But various reports suggest a February-March window for the second season as the Indian women's senior cricket team is scheduled for a multi-format series against England and Australia in December-January.