Alyssa Healy’s name was the very first drawn at the Women’s Premier League auction in Delhi, yet not a single paddle went up. The Australian opener, listed at a base INR 50 lakh, remained without a bid in both the initial and accelerated rounds. By close of play she was, remarkably, the most decorated player to leave the room unsold.
Abhishek Nayar, head coach of UP Warriorz, admitted the outcome caught him off-guard but pointed to the competition’s strict overseas limit. “Alyssa Healy going unsold was surprising for different reasons,” Nayar said. “When you’re allowed only four overseas players [in the XI], your options are limited, and many teams prefer allrounders in their set-up. It’s a tough situation for someone of her stature.”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru assistant Anya Shrubsole reached a similar conclusion, saying the franchise already felt settled at the top. “We have a very strong top order, and Georgia Voll gives us some offspin as well,” she said. “With Richa Ghosh [as a wicketkeeper-batter] in the top five, going for Healy didn’t make sense for us.”
Delhi Capitals coach Jonathan Batty revealed Healy had been discussed but ultimately fell victim to the need for flexibility across the XI. None of the three coaches dismissed her quality; each simply prioritised squad balance over a marquee name.
Healy’s CV remains formidable. Across two WPL seasons she has scored 428 runs at 26.75, striking at 130, and only a foot injury kept her out of last year’s campaign with UPW. Back home she is in healthy touch for Sydney Sixers and recently peeled off back-to-back ODI World Cup hundreds. Even so, the auction room often rewards timing and role fit more than past glories.
Paradoxically, wicketkeepers were in demand. Gujarat Giants retained Beth Mooney and still paid INR 50 lakh for India left-hander Yastika Bhatia. Delhi snapped up South Africa’s Lizelle Lee and India’s Taniya Bhatia for a combined INR 60 lakh. UPW, short on purse, punted on rookie Shipra Giri at base price, while Mumbai Indians and RCB had already retained keeping options.
Several other notable overseas players were overlooked: England pair Heather Knight and Alice Capsey, Australia’s spin duo Alana King and Amanda-Jade Wellington, pace bowler Darcie Brown, and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. The day’s biggest overseas cheque went to New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, INR 3 crore from Mumbai. Gujarat splashed INR 2 crore on Sophie Devine; UPW secured Meg Lanning for INR 1.9 crore.
The message, then, was clear enough. Even a World Cup-winning captain can be passed over if the puzzle pieces don’t align. Healy’s absence will dominate early-season conversation, but injuries, form dips or a mid-tournament replacement window could yet open a door. For now, the auction table has spoken—quietly, but decisively.
