India opener Smriti Mandhana was signed by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 3.40 crore in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) Auction in Mumbai on Monday.
Mandhana was the first player to be drawn out of the Marquee 1 set in the auction. Mumbai Indians opened the bidding at INR 50 lakh before RCB raised the stocks in an intense bidding war.
“We have been watching the men’s IPL auctions. It is such a big moment for women to have an auction of this sort. The whole thing is exciting. RCB’s legacy is big, they have built a big fan-base. Hope we both can together build a big team. Namaskara Bengaluru, excited to wear the red and gold and aim for the cup,” Mandhana said.
A mainstay of the Indian batting department, Mandhana made her T20I debut in 2013 at the age of 16, the fourth-youngest ever to play for the country.
Mandhana recorded the fastest fifty among Indian women in T20Is when she struck a 24-ball half-century against New Zealand in February 2019. The 26-year-old is the second-leading run-scorer in T20Is (2651 in 112 matches) among Indian women, only behind captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She is also the third leading run-scorer among all openers in the format.
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