Simran Shaikh costliest player in WPL mini auction; Sneh Rana goes unsold
Bengaluru, Dec 15: Mumbai cricketer Simran Shaikh became the costliest player of the Women's Premier League mini-auction 2025, being bought by Gujarat Giants for Rs 1.90 crore even as veteran India player Sneh Rana went unsold here on Sunday.
On a day when five teams competed to fill 19 slots from a pool of 120 players to finalise their squads for next year's WPL, the other top money earners were West Indies stalwart Deandra Dottin (Rs 1.70 crore - Gujarat Giants), 16-year-old U19 wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini (Mumbai Indians - Rs 1.60 crore), Prema Rawat (Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Rs 1.20 crore) and N Charani (Delhi Capitals - Rs 55 lakh).
Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants were involved in a bidding war for Simran before the latter raised the bar to net her.
Simran, 22, a middle-order batter, played a few matches for UP Warriorz during the 2023 WPL season. She has made 176 runs in 11 matches for Mumbai at 22 with a strike rate of 100.57 during the Senior Women's T20 Trophy in October-November this year.
All-rounder Dottin, who is currently in India with the West Indies team for the white-ball series, was the costliest among overseas players and was bought by the Giants for the second time in the auction.
Dottin, 33, a veteran of 132 WT20Is, was one of the three players with base price of Rs 50 lakh and saw UP Warriorz too make a wholehearted bid for her before Gujarat Giants upped the amount.
Dottin was signed by Gujarat Giants for Rs 60 lakh ahead of WPL 2023, but could not play the tournament as the franchise failed to obtain a medical certificate before the season. Dottin had refuted the claims made by the franchise.
Gujarat Giants coach Michael Klinger, speaking to the broadcaster, said that both Dottin and Simran were on their radar for quite some time.
"We were targeting Dottin and Simran. They bring in power and batting at a high strike rate. That often creates a winning culture, so I'm really excited for our first two picks," said Klinger.
Tamil Nadu's G Kamalini, 16, who struck a fine 44 in India's victory over Pakistan in the U19 Women's T20 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, also secured her career's biggest pay cheque of Rs 1.60 crore from Mumbai Indians during the auction.
Defending champions RCB added talented leg-spin all-rounder Prema alongwith pace-bowling all-rounders Joshitha VJ, Raghvi Bist, and Jagravi Pawar, for Rs 10 lakh.
"Strengthening our spin arsenal was a key priority. Prema brings great control as a wrist spinner. Additionally, the pace-bowling all-rounders provide the flexibility," said head coach Luke Williams.
Uttarakhand's Nandini Kashyap, who has been named in the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against West Indies starting Sunday in Navi Mumbai, was roped in by Delhi Capitals.
Delhi Capitals also bought Ireland's Sarah Bryce, Niki Prasad -- India's U19 captain -- and N Charani during the auction.
Another Uttarakhand player, Raghvi Bisht, who is in the India squad for the West Indies T20I series, has been roped in by RCB along with Joshitha JV and Mumbai's Jagravi Pawar.
Mumbai Indians, winners of the inaugural WPL, added South African veteran Nadine de Klerk, Akshita Maheshwari and Sanskriti Gupta for the upcoming edition of the WPL.
Gujarat Giants, who have finished at the bottom of the WPL points table in the two previous editions, also added England's Danielle Gibson and Prakashika Naik.
Australia's Alana King joined her skipper Alyssa Healy at UP Warriorz, who also roped in Arushi Goel and Kranti Goud.
No capped India player was bought during the auction, which included senior player Sneh Rana, who has captained Gujarat Giants in the first edition of the tournament.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Zakir Hussain in critical condition; Family issues clarification after reports of his demise
San Francisco: Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, renowned for his extraordinary talent, is in critical condition at a hospital in the United States due to severe heart-related ailments. His manager, Nirmala Bachani, confirmed his hospitalisation in San Francisco.
Amidst widespread reports of his demise, Hussain's family issued a clarification, stating that he is alive but critically ill. "He is still breathing, but very critical. Please pray for him," said his sister, Khurshid Aulia.
Earlier, several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers mistakenly paid tributes to the legendary percussionist on X (formerly Twitter). The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also had to delete its condolence post after the clarification. Hussain’s nephew, Ameer Aulia, also appealed on X, urging people to avoid spreading misinformation and to pray for his recovery.
Born in Bombay as the eldest son of legendary tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha, Zakir Hussain began his illustrious career at the age of 13. Over the decades, he collaborated with global icons, blending Indian classical music with jazz through pioneering projects like Shakti in 1973.
The Padma Vibhushan awardee has enthralled audiences worldwide with his virtuosity and innovative artistry, earning a place among India’s most celebrated classical musicians.
