Smriti Mandhana bought by RCB for whopping Rs 3.40 crore, MI gets Harmanpreet for nearly half
Mumbai (PTI): Smriti Mandhana stole the thunder in the inaugural Women's Premier League auctions as Royal Challengers Bangalore pipped Mumbai Indians in a bidding war to buy the India vice-captain for Rs 3.40 crore (USD 410,000) here on Monday.
The second costliest Indian player so far is all-rounder Deepti Sharma who was bought by UP Warriorz for Rs 2.6 crore.
However, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came much cheaper for Mumbai Indians at nearly half the price of Mandhana at Rs 1.80 crore.
"Everyone knows Mandhana and Perry, we were pretty committed to the couple of people we wanted to get. We're very happy to get such quality players. It's a dream result for us to get Mandhana, Perry and Devine," RCB Director of Cricket Mike Hesson said during a media interaction.
"Smriti has got plenty of captaincy experience and is familiar with the Indian conditions, so highly likely (she'll be the captain)."
One of the prominent picks during the first round was Australia's off-spin all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who was bought by Gautam Adani-owned Gujarat Giants for Rs 3.20 crore (USD 386,000).
Star Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry received a cool Rs 1.70 crore (USD 205,000) winning bid from RCB who also got New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine dirt cheap at base price of Rs 50 lakh.
RCB has already exhausted Rs 5.60 crore out of Rs 12 crore purse and they need to get another 12 players with the rest of the Rs 6.40 crore to have a mandatory squad size of 15 players.
UP Warriorz also got England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone on board for Rs 1.80 crore.
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Power of organisation: Digvijaya creates flutter ahead of CWC meet by sharing Modi's picture
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday lauded the organisational power of RSS-BJP as he shared Narendra Modi's old picture and said how a grassroots worker went on to become the chief minister and prime minister by sitting at the feet of their leaders.
The remarks that created a flutter came ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that decided on its agitational plan against the scrapping of MGNREGA from January 5.
Sources said Singh also raised the issue of strengthening the Congress organisation at the grassroots level, saying it was much needed in the fight against the ruling BJP and to oust it from power.
Singh, however, backtracked saying he only talked about the organisation and its strength and not the BJP or the RSS as he was staunchly against the two.
"Quora site. It is very impressive. In what way did the grassroots 'swayamsevak' of RSS and the worker of Jan Sangh @BJP4India sat on the floor at the feet of leaders and became the Chief Minister of the state and the Prime Minister of the country. This is the power of the organization. Jai Siya Ram," Singh said in a post in Hindi on X.
Congress leaders did not take any questions from the media at the press briefing after the CWC.
"In fact, I praised the party organisation. You people have misunderstood things. I am a staunch opponent of the BJP and the RSS," Singh clarified on his post after the meeting.
