England Captain Heather Knight Among Players Unsold in Women’s Premier League Auction

England captain Heather Knight, along with bowlers Lauren Bell and Sarah Glenn, were among the athletes who did not secure a team during Sunday’s Women’s Premier League auction. Knight had been released by the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in November. Batters Maia Boucher, Sophia Dunkley, and Paige Scholfield also remained unsold in the auction for the India-based competition. Fast bowler Lauren Filer and the powerful South African batter Lizelle Lee similarly failed to attract bids. However, all-rounder Danielle Gibson was acquired by Gujarat Giants for approximately £28,000. The Gujarat Giants proved to be the most active franchise in the draft, making the two most significant purchases. They secured uncapped Indian all-rounder Simran Shaikh for £178,000, in addition to West Indies’ Deandra Dottin for £158,000. “We’ve been watching the local competitions closely, the T20s and the Challengers,” stated Michael Klinger, head coach for the Giants. “She [Shaikh] stands out in terms of her hitting power and strike-rate, and complements the other local Indian players [we’ve got in the squad].” “To have someone like her, potentially in our top six-seven, who can hit sixes straightaway, completes us. We were targeting her.” The Mumbai Indians signed 16-year-old all-rounder G Kamalini for £158,000, while spinner Prema Rawat was acquired by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for £118,000. Five England players—Alice Capsey (Delhi Capitals), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Mumbai Indians), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kate Cross (both RCB), and Sophie Ecclestone (UP Warriorz)—were retained by their respective teams last month. The 2025 WPL season is scheduled to commence on 21 February, with the final match set for 16 March.