नवीनतम
WPL's costliest player Deepti earns nine times less than Pant
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The Women's Premier League (WPL) auction ended with Deepti Sharma emerging as the most expensive signing of the day, underlining her growing value as one of India's most complete all-rounders.
But even her record fee of Rs 3.2 Crore, among the highest in WPL auction history, sits in a completely different financial universe when compared with recent IPL spending.
Franchises initially showed no interest in Deepti but when Delhi made a bid for her, she was retained, becoming the headline purchase of this year's auction. Yet the final figure, while significant within the women's circuit, remains just a fraction of what men's cricketers routinely attract.
Even with Deepti's record purchase ahead of WPL 2026, the contrast is unmissable. Pant alone fetched nearly nine times the amount of the WPL's most expensive player.
Why the gap persists?
Budget size: WPL squads operate on significantly lower purse limits.
Market maturity: The IPL's commercial ecosystem is two decades ahead in scale and stability.
Broadcast value: IPL rights dwarf every other cricket property, shaping franchise spending patterns.
Despite this, the WPL continues to mark year-on-year growth, with more competitive bidding and deeper investment in domestic talent.
