Harmanpreet Kaur or Smriti Mandhana? Former Indian cricketer picks the superior batter

Women’s cricket is poised to reach new heights with the introduction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) tournament by the Board of Control for Cricket in India from 2023 onwards. A day after the 87 female cricketers were sold at the inaugural WPL Auction, former Indian cricketer Latika Kumari spoke to Republic World in an exclusive interview. She made several notable revelations about her time on the Indian team and also shed light on the rise of women’s cricket in the country in recent years.

Meanwhile, during a rapid-fire round during the interview, Latika was asked to name who among Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana is the superior batter. The former India cricketer came up with a straightforward response, naming her choice as Harmanpreet. This comes after Harmanpreet and Smriti earned lucrative deals with the WPL franchises.

Smriti Mandhana becomes the most expensive player at the WPL 2023 Auction

Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive player to be sold at the WPL 2023 Auction, as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bought her for a whopping INR 3.4 crore. She was later named the captain of the team, which also features several top stars like Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh, Sophie Divine, and Heather Knight. On the other hand, Harmanpreet joined the Mumbai Indians franchise and was also named the captain of the team.

Mumbai Indians also bought top cricketers like Natalie Sciver, Pooja Vastarkar, and Yastika Bhatia, alongside Harmanpreet. The schedule and fixtures for the inaugural WPL season are set to kick off on March 4. Here’s a look at the top Indian women’s cricketers to be sold at the WPL 2023 Auction.

Top 10 expensive Indian players at the WPL 2023 Auction

• Smriti Mandhana to RCB for INR 3.40 crore
• Deepti Sharma to UP Warriorz for INR 2.60 crore
• Jemimah Rodrigues to DC for INR 2.20 crore
• Shafali Verma to DC for INR 2 crore
• Pooja Vastarkar to MI of INR 1.9 crore
• Richa Ghosh to RCB for INR 1.9 crore
• Harmanpreet Kaur to MI for INR 1.8 crore
• Renuka Singh to RCB for INR 1.5 crore
• Yastika Bhatia to MI for INR 1.5 crore
• Devika Vaidya to UP Warriorz for INR 1.4 crore

Harmanpreet Kaur-led Team India completes in Women's T20 World Cup 2023

The Harmanpreet-Smriti duo is currently representing India in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa. The Harmanpreet-led Team India opened their campaign on February 12 with a seven-wicket win against Pakistan women. They will now face West Indies in their next group match on February 15.