Molineux sold for record Rs 1.1 crore as Kathryn Bryce becomes first Associate nation player bought at WPL 2027 auction

At the WPL 2027 auction on Wednesday, UP Warriorz purchased Australian captain Sophie Molineux for a record Rs 1.1 crore, and Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce was sold for Rs 10 lakh, becoming the first player from an Associate Nation to be bought at this auction.

UP Warriorz's spending on Molineux surpassed all other buys at the auction; she entered the bidding with a base price of Rs 50 lakh. The Warriorz also strengthened their squad by signing India all-rounder Sneh Rana for Rs 30 lakh, former India wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma for Rs 30 lakh, and Australia all-rounder Grace Harris for Rs 30 lakh.

The franchise now fields a spin-heavy unit, having already retained India's Deepti Sharma and England's Sophie Ecclestone in their ranks alongside Molineux. Kshemal Waingankar, COO and director of cricket at Capri Sports (owner of UP Warriorz), explained the strategy: "I think that just puts us in a good position, whether that's Sophie and Grace combined to tweak our combinations and decide which combination works best," Waingankar said. "Grace brings power to the middle order. Sophie Molineux, obviously, (brings) leadership qualities, an exceptional bowler and obviously fantastic with the team in general. So our thought was her and Sophie Ecclestone together would be a lethal force and again, like I said with Grace, we have the option of switching and seeing how things work," he added.

Delhi Capitals invested Rs 75 lakh to secure Kiran Navgire, attracting interest from two-time WPL winners Mumbai Indians during the bidding. Gujarat Giants paid Rs 40 lakh for young Indian batter G Kamalini, while Mumbai Indians opened their day by acquiring Disha Kasat for a base price of Rs 10 lakh.

Several notable players went unsold in the initial rounds, including India pacer Titas Sadhu, former Mumbai spinner Saika Ishaque, keeper-batters Taniya Bhatia and Uma Chetry, and England batter Sophia Dunkley. The auction list also included Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu among the unsold names, with Saika Ishaque and Athapaththu described as surprising absentees from the sold list.

Other confirmed purchases included Delhi Capitals adding Scotland left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon for Rs 10 lakh and 15-year-old all-rounder Uma Kashvi for Rs 10 lakh, and Gujarat Giants signing Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast for Rs 30 lakh. UP Warriorz's Kathryn Bryce was acquired in the accelerated auction for Rs 10 lakh.

During the accelerated auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a late bid to acquire Australian Jess Jonassen for Rs 40 lakh. RCB also added Tejal Hasabanis for Rs 30 lakh, South Africa’s Chloe Tryon for Rs 30 lakh, and Vrinda Dinesh for Rs 10 lakh. UP Warriorz bought Asha Sobhana for Rs 30 lakh; Gujarat Giants selected 16-year-old Samaria Raghav for Rs 10 lakh; and Mumbai Indians signed uncapped players Sanika Chalke, Bharti Rawal and Latika Inamdar for Rs 10 lakh each, as well as Akshata Bhagat for Rs 10 lakh and Shweta Sehrawat for Rs 20 lakh.

Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger commented on their picks: "We felt Kamalini was the best batter in the auction, the most talented batter, and we were looking for an all-rounder to complement our squad," he said. "Orla Prendergast as a seamer all-rounder gives us plenty of options during the season. "I was lucky enough to work with her at the Welsh Fire in The Hundred this year. She's a leading player for Ireland, also has good leadership qualities and will be fantastic around the group," he added.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's signing of Jess Jonassen came with an injury caveat: Jonassen is missing out on WBBL due to a hip injury but is expected to be fit by the time WPL commences.