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.
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.
Ruskin Bond hospitalised in Dehradun due to leg problem
Dehradun (PTI): Author Ruskin Bond has been admitted to a hospital in Dehradun due to a leg problem, a close friend of the writer said here on Sunday.
After visiting Bond at the hospital, well-known Dehradun-based publisher Upendra Arora said the elderly author was unable to walk properly, following which he was admitted to a private hospital here on Saturday.
The 91-year-old Bond, a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, lives in the Landour area of Mussoorie.
Arora said Bond is undergoing physiotherapy under medical supervision and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in two to three days.
"There is nothing serious," he said.
Bond has written more than 500 short stories, essays and novels, of which 69 books are for children.
He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra.
