Australia captain Sophie Molineux has proved the most expensive buy in India's Women's Premier League auction -- and she'll suit up for a UP Warriorz side captained by his first national team skipper Meg Lanning.
With many of the world's top players having already been retained for the 2027 edition of the lucrative Indian league, Molineux's signature was the most coveted one still left and the Lucknow-based franchise captured the T20 World Cup-winning skipper for the biggest price, INR 1.1 crore ($A164,000).
The spinning allrounder won't be leading the team in the January 14-February 7 tournament, though.
Instead, Molineux will be playing under the captaincy of 34-year-old Lanning, the inspirational figure who skippered Australia when she first came into the side, in a T20I in India eight years ago.
Molineux's base price in the auction in Kochi was 50 Lakh ($A75,000) but she eventually went for over twice that price as a bidding battle began between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Warriorz.
With their superior budget, UP also snapped up a bargain, with big-hitting allrounder Grace Harris going for $45,000, meaning that the side will have four Australians in their ranks with Phoebe Litchfield already on board again for what also looks a snip at $179,000.
Intriguingly, national skipper Molineux has been bought for less than both Lanning and Litchfield and four others among the 14-strong Australian contingent in the league.
The most expensive Australian in the league -- each of the five teams has at least one Aussie World Cup winner in its ranks -- will be Ash Gardner, captain of the Gujarat Giants who was retained for $523,000 in a side that also includes four Aussies.
She's the joint-most lucrative retention, alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana and Mumbai Indians' England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Of the 11 Australians up for grabs for just seven remaining overseas spots in Wednesday's auction, only three were sold, with the veteran ever reliable allrounder Jess Jonassen going to champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who'll also have the returning champion Ellyse Perry, who missed this year for personal reasons.
Heather Graham, Tayla Vlaeminck, Tess Flintoff, Charli Knott, Samantha Bates, Maitlan Brown, Maddie Penna and Milly Illingworth were the ones to miss out.
AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS RETAINED AND BOUGHT FOR WPL 2027
(* denotes bought in auction)
UP Warriorz - Meg Lanning ($286,000), Phoebe Litchfield ($179,000) Sophie Molineux* ($164,000) Grace Harris* ($45,000).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Ellyse Perry ($299,000), Georgia Voll ($90,000), Jess Jonassen* ($60,000).
Delhi Capitals - Annabel Sutherland ($329,000), Lucy Hamilton ($15,000).
Gujarat Giants - Ash Gardner ($523,000), Beth Mooney ($373,000), Georgia Wareham ($149,000), Kim Garth ($75,000).
Mumbai Indians - Nicola Carey ($45,000).
