New Delhi

Simran Banu Shaikh became the costliest player to be bought by an IPL team for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025. On the Sunday auction at Bengaluru, Simran Shaikh, daughter of an electrician from Dharavi, Mumbai, was bought for a whopping Rs 1.9 crore by Gujarat Giants.

She has thus become the second-costliest player in the WPL so far as Kashvee Gautam was bought by the Gujarat Giant for Rs 2cr for the 2024 edition.

West Indies' Deandra Dotting was the second costliest buy at Rs 1.7 crore, uncapped. Both Dottin and Shaikh were sold to the Gujarat Giants. While G Kamalini, 16, got a jaw-dropping deal of Rs 1.6 crore, the highlight of the event was Gujarat's bid for Shaikh.

According to Indian Express her neighbourhood, which is known as Asia's largest slum, was filled with joy and a sense of excitement over one of them making it big. She had faced disapproval from family and relatives as a "girl playing boys' game."

The auction reached a crucial point when the competitive bidding war started between Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals. Despite the competition between the two teams, Gujarat Giants finally could pick Simran Shaikh for a good price.

Simran Shaikh is all smiles as she is picked by Gujarat Giants for Rs 1.9 cr

Gujarat Giants coach Michael Klinger spoke about the decision to bid high for Simran. He said that Simran and Dottin were players the team wanted to have as members as part of its strategy for the coming season.

Michael revealed that the franchise kept a close eye on India's domestic tournaments and Simran's power-hitting ability, especially her knack of hitting sixes down the order, was exactly what the team needed for the next season.

The coach said, "We have been monitoring local competitions, T20s and Challengers. Simran is different from other Indian players in terms of her hitting power and strike rate and will be a great complement to our team. She can become one of our top six-seven players with the ability to hit big shots."

Simran Shaikh

Simran Shaikh's cricket career has been mixed so far. She previously played for UP Warriors in the first edition of the Women's Premier League. However, her performance was relatively disappointing at that time.

In the inaugural Women's IPL edition in 2023, Simran played 9 matches, with her highest score being 11 runs and she scored 29 runs.

In the next edition, she remained unsold. Her inclusion in the Gujarat Titas is a breakthrough for her.

Simran performed brilliantly in the recently concluded Senior Women's T20 Trophy. In 11 matches, she scored 176 runs with a highest score of 47. Her batting impressed everyone and she emerged as a great cricket talent.

Simran Banu Shaikh, 22, hails from 2002, Mumbai, Maharashtra, is a right-handed middle-order batter.

Simran Shaikh

Simran has played 9 matches in the Women's Premier League (WPL) so far. While her strike rate was relatively low, her performance in domestic cricket has been much better.

Simran's performance in the WPL 2023 was not that good. She participated in 9 matches for the UP Warriorz squad and scored 11 runs. However, Simran was in a better form in domestic cricket. She scored 176 runs in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy.

Simran's batting reflects a fast and aggressive game. Her main attraction is her power-hitting. She is known for hitting fast shots in the lower order, and this trait can be a big help for the team.