1,525 enter fray for 90 slots in WPL auctions, BCCI cuts number to 409

Final list has 202 capped and 199 uncapped players, and eight from associate nations

The player auctions for the first edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will be held on Monday in Mumbai. The popularity of the soon-to-be-launched women's league can be gauged from this: 1,525 women cricketers registered for the player auctions, which is significant. The organisers, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had to whittle down the number to 409, since there are only 90 slots available in the auction. In the final list, there are a total of 202 capped and 199 uncapped players. In addition, there are eight players from associate nations.

In terms of nationality, there 246 domestic and 163 overseas players for the auction on Monday. The sale of media rights at Rs 951 crore and the auction of teams for the WPL at Rs 4,669.99 crore, which were held last month, have already put the women's edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) second only to the Men's IPL in terms of earnings. The five WPL teams have a purse of Rs 12 crore each for the player auctions, with the bidding expected to be fierce for both Indian and foreign cricketers, according to some cricket experts.