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[Saba Sports News] 22-year-old Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland is in the spotlight as discussions about her potential trade are heating up before the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction in Mumbai on December 9. This event is set to occur before Australia’s multi-format series tour to India, commencing on December 21.
Speculation is rife about Sutherland’s potential shift from Gujarat Giants, with rumored interest from UP Warriors, though nothing has been finalized yet. Initially signed by Gujarat Giants for INR 70 lakh last year, Sutherland is now a part of the WPL auction, expected to be a major draw. Another Australian player, Phoebe Litchfield, is also in the auction with a base price of Rs 30 lakh, compared to Sutherland’s Rs 40 lakh.
The auction features two players, Deandra Dottin and Kim Garth, at the highest base price of Rs 50 lakh. It aims to fill 30 available slots, including nine for overseas players, with a total of 165 players registered, comprising 104 Indians, 61 overseas players, and 15 from associate nations.
The BCCI has not yet confirmed the dates for the second edition of the tournament, but it is expected to start around February 10 and finish in early March. Mumbai and Bengaluru are the likely venues.
Ahead of the auction, James Sutherland, Annabel’s father and former Cricket Australia boss, praised the WPL’s inaugural success and expressed hope for its future impact, particularly in promoting women’s cricket and inspiring more girls to play.
“The BCCI did wonderful things for women’s cricket in bringing the WPL to life. First year was a great success and teams did pretty well given they had a very short lead into the tournament. They will be even better organised this season. To achieve its potential it will be great to see matches scheduled around the country. Fans will love it… and it will inspire more girls to play and love cricket!,” Sutherland, the father of Annabel, shared.
The BCCI has established a committee to oversee the WPL, chaired by Roger Binny and convened by Jay Shah. The committee includes IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, Rajeev Shukla, Ashish Shelar, Devajit Saikia, Madhumati Lele, and Prabhtej Bhatia.