Former Indian opening batter and commentator Aakash Chopra has predicted that Australian all-rounder Grace Harris will emerge as the most expensive pick at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 mini-auction.
Interestingly, Harris was released by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise ahead of the auction, which is scheduled to take place on October 28 in Kochi. Notably, the all-rounder has registered for the auction at INR 30 Lakh.
Speaking on JioStar’s ‘TATA WPL Auction: Most Wanted’, Chopra asserted that demand wouldn’t be very high given the majority of the franchises have held on to their main players before the retention deadline.
“I think Grace Harris would be the most expensive player at this smaller auction. Of course, in a small auction, the player availability is limited. Demand also won’t be very high because most teams have held on to their main players. But I still feel that, given the kind of batter she is and contributes with the ball as well, she could be in demand,” Chopra said while speaking on JioStar’s ‘TATA WPL Auction: Most Wanted’.
UP Warriorz could be strong contenders for signing Harris, having the largest purse of ₹3.75 crore heading into the auction. Having previously represented the Warriorz, Harris could potentially return to the franchise.
“Who has the biggest purse? It is UP Warriorz once again. So, if the UP Warriorz are keen, I feel she could be the most expensive player at this auction,” Chopra added.
Harris has featured for both UP Warriorz and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL, amassing 818 runs in 31 matches at a strike rate of 149.54, including five half-centuries. She has also made an impact with the ball, picking up 15 wickets with best figures of 4/15.
