Marufa, Rabeya included in WIPL auction 

Bangladesh pacer Marufa Akter and leg-spinner Rabeya Khan were included in the auction list of the upcoming Women's Indian Premier League (WIPL) next year. 

The IPL governing council published the list of the players to be auctioned on December 9 today. 

Both the Tigresses were valued at a base price of Rs 30 lakhs.

Leg-spinner Rabeya has played 14 T20Is since making her debut against Nepal in 2019. The 18-year-old has taken 16 wickets at an economy rate of 4.57 in her 20-over international career so far.

Right-arm seamer Marufa has become a key player for the Tigresses featuring in nine ODIs and 13 T20Is since her debut against New Zealand last year in an ODI. She has scalped 12 wickets with an economy rate of six in the 13 T20Is she has played so far.

The 2024 edition of the tournament has enlisted a total of 165 cricketers, 104 of whom are Indians, with the rest being overseas options. 

The five teams --Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, and UP Warriorz -- will battle it out for the siganture of 30 players from the auction, with only nine buys allocated for foreign inclusions.  

In the 2023 edition, nine Bangladesh players had put forward their names to be enlisted in the mega auction but only three –Jahanara Alam, Salma Khatun, and Shorna Akter -- were drafted for the auction. All three, however, remained unsold.

In the upcoming edition, West Indies' Deandra Dottin and Australia's Kim Garth have been valued at the highest base price – Rs 50 lakhs.

India opener Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive player in the previous edition of the tournament when she was brought in by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for a fee of Rs 3 crores and 40 lakhs. 

Gujarat Titans signed Australia Ashley Gardner for Rs 3 crores and 20 lakh making her the most expensive foreign buy along with England Nat Sciver-Brunt who was bought by defending champions Mumbai Indians.