Franchises retain marquee players ahead of Women's Premier League 2024

NEW DELHI: The Women's Premier League (WPL) revealed that all marquee players, including notable names like Harmanpreet Kaur, Meg Lanning, and Smriti Mandhana, have been successfully retained by their respective franchises for the upcoming WPL 2024 season. This announcement came on Thursday, marking the conclusion of the player retention window for the five participating franchises on October 15.
A total of 60 players, comprising 21 overseas cricketers, have been retained across these five franchises, with 29 players being released from their current squads.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who led the Mumbai Indians to a triumphant victory in the inaugural edition of the tournament earlier this year, remains a vital part of the franchise's plans. The Mumbai Indians have also retained other key players such as Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, and Isabelle Wong, highlighting their commitment to maintaining a strong and competitive roster.
The Delhi Capitals, who finished as runners-up in the inaugural edition, have retained a total of 15 players, including five overseas stars. The team's head coach, Jonathan Batty, expressed his sentiments regarding the players who were released from the squad, saying, "It wasn't an easy decision at all for us to let go of these players. They were all a crucial part of our very memorable inaugural season, and I wish them all the very best. We've got a solid squad in place and will aim to make it more complete at the upcoming auction."
Meanwhile, the UP Warriorz, who secured the third position in the last season, have chosen to retain their core group and have opted to keep hold of the services of five overseas players. In a notable move, the South African pace sensation Shabnim Ismail has been released from their squad, alongside players like Devika Vaidya, Simran Shaikh, and Shivali Shinde.
The stage is now set for an action-packed WPL 2024 season, with these marquee players and several others retained by their respective franchises. Cricket enthusiasts can expect an exhilarating and fiercely competitive tournament as these teams gear up for another thrilling edition of the Women's Premier League.
The following players from the five WPL franchises were retained and released from the squad:
Delhi Capitals:
Retained Players: Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniyaa Bhatia, Titas Sadhu
Released Players: Aparna Mondal, Jasia Akhter, Tara Norris
Gujarat Giants:
Retained Players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwer
Released Players: Annabel Sutherland, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley, Sushma Verma
Mumbai Indians:
Retained Players: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Humairaa Kaazi, Isabelle Wong, Jintimani Kalita, Natalie Sciver, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia
Released Players: Dhara Gujjar, Heather Graham, Neelam Bisht, Sonam Yadav
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Retained Players: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine
Released Players: Dané Van Niekerk, Erin Burns, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, Sahana Pawar
UP Warriorz:
Retained Players: Alyssa Healy, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S. Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia Mcgrath
Released Players: Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail, Shivali Shinde, Simran Shaikh.
(With inputs from PTI)