She became the best player of the World Cup yet Deepti Sharma did not get a retention spot in the Women’s Premier League! Sources say that UP Warriorz have not retained Deepti. The franchise reportedly plans to overhaul the entire squad. However, several stars of the World Cup winning Indian team have been retained by their respective franchises.
All five WPL franchises were required to submit the retention list by Wednesday, though the official list is yet to be released. As per reports, UP Warriorz have retained only one player uncapped Shweta Sehrawat while releasing everyone else for the auction. Along with Deepti, big names like Alyssa Healy, Alana King, Kranti Goud, and Tahlia McGrath are also on the release list. All of them performed well in the recently concluded World Cup.
Meanwhile, two-time WPL champions Mumbai Indians are reportedly retaining India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Amnajyot Kaur whose catch played a key role in India’s World Cup victory will also be retained by Mumbai, along with Nat Sciver-Brunt, J. Kamalini, and Hayley Matthews.
2024 WPL champions Royal Challengers Bangalore are retaining captain Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil. Delhi Capitals are keeping Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, and Niki Prasad.
However, UP Warriorz will still have a chance to bring Deepti back into the squad, as they will have four RTM (Right to Match) cards. So even if another team places the highest bid for Deepti, UP can use RTM to reclaim the World Cup MVP.
Meanwhile, the WPL auction is expected to take place later this month. Cricket circles predict that Indian players will fetch sky-high prices.
