Who is Minnu Mani, only Kerala player to be picked at WPL auction

Minnu Mani was in for a big surprise when more than one franchise took an interest in her. She was eventually bought for Rs 30 lakh by Delhi Capitals.

Minnu Mani is the only player from Kerala to get picked at the WPL auction. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

While watching the telecast of the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, Minnu Mani’s hopes began to fade when she found that big stars were going unsold. “Who is going to buy me when famous players are being overlooked?” she said to herself.

So she was in for a big surprise when more than one franchise took an interest in her. She was eventually bought for Rs 30 lakh by Delhi Capitals.

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“It is a lot of money, but it is the recognition that matters,” Minnu told Sportstar over the phone from Hyderabad, where she is playing for South Zone in the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal One-Day tournament. “Though I had hopes of being part of the WPL, I had nearly given up early on in the auction.”

The 23-year-old off-spinning all-rounder had been in good form going into the auction. On Sunday, she made an unbeaten 74 to help South Zone beat West Zone in Hyderabad.

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A tribal girl from Kerala’s Wayanad district, she hails from a humble background. She is the only player from the State to get picked at the auction.

“Though I am disappointed that other Kerala players could not make it, I am happy at least one of us is there,” Minnu said. “And I am thrilled that I will be joining stars like Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, with whom I have already played.”