Sports News

WPL auction: Australian Sophie Molineux tops the bidding as a 15-year-old makes history

Australia's Sophie Molineux was the most expensive player at the Women's Premier League mini auction, bought by UP Warriorz for ₹1.10 crore, The Hindu and ABC News (Australia) report. Indian batter Kiran Navgire was next, joining Delhi Capitals for ₹75 lakh.

Open magazine reported that the auction, held in Kochi, filled 27 places across the five franchises from a pool of 150 players, ahead of a fifth season running from January 14 to February 7, 2027. UP Warriorz outbid Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Molineux and also signed Grace Harris and Sneh Rana. England's Sophia Dunkley and Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu went unsold.

The Hindu found its own headline further down the list: 15-year-old Kashvi became the youngest player to make a WPL squad.

“UP Warriorz made a statement with a ₹1.10-crore deal for Sophie Molineux.” — Open magazine

How each outlet framed it

• The Hindu — the top earners and a record: the youngest player ever signed.
• ABC News (Australia) — the national angle: Australia's captain as the auction's top buy, set to reunite with an Australian legend.
• Open — a team-by-team view: UP Warriorz's rebuild and the big names left unsold.

Where the numbers differ: The Hindu calls Molineux the “T20 WC-winning captain”, while ABC calls her the Australian captain. Both report the same price.