NEW DELHI: Pacer Kashvee Gautam, the most expensive uncapped Indian buy at the Women's Premier League (WPL) auction, is hopeful that a good outing in WPL will lead to an India debut.
"When you start off, there are a few doubts that creep in, but as and when you start growing, you begin reaping the rewards of your hard work. The picture is clear for me now. I know I want to go on and play for India and perform well there," said Gautam.
Kashvee Gautam added that the wicket of Australian opener Alyssa Healy will bring her most joy in the upcoming edition.
The seamer from Chandigarh was bought for Rs 2 crore by Gujarat Giants at the auction on Saturday. She is also a hard hitting batter.
"It's quite unbelievable at the moment. I was travelling in the team bus after practice and was informed about the auction by a teammate. The amount kept rising and I was selected.
1/10:Women's Premier League 2024 player auction highlights
2/10:Kashvee Gautam and Vrinda Dinesh
<p>Uncapped players Kashvee Gautam and Vrinda Dinesh walked away with top honours at the WPL auction in Mumbai. </p>IANS
3/10:Kashvee Gautam
<p>Chandigarh pacer Kashvee Gautam was bought for Rs 2 crore by Gujarat Giants. </p>TNN
4/10:Vrinda Dinesh
<p>Karnataka batter Vrinda Dinesh went to UP Warriorz for Rs 1.3 crore. </p>TNN
5/10:Kashvee
<p>Both Vrinda and Kashvee had recently featured for India 'A' in their three-match series against England 'A'. </p>TNN
6/10:Annabel Sutherland
<p>Australia's allrounder Annabel Sutherland was the most expensive overseas player, going to Delhi Capitals at the joint-highest bid of Rs 2 crore. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Chamari Athapaththu
<p>The big surprise was Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu missing out for a second-time running after failing to attract a single bid. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Kim Garth
<p>Some others who went unsold were Deandra Dottin and Australia allrounder Kim Garth, who were only three players in the highest price bracket (Rs 50 lakh). </p>Getty Images
9/10:Punam Raut
<p>Among the capped Indian players who did not find any takers were Priya Punia, Devika Vaidya, Punam Raut and Sushma Verma. </p>Getty Images
10/10:Ekta Bisht
<p>Ekta Bisht (Rs 60 lakh) attracted the highest bid among capped India players. </p>Getty Images"It's a huge opportunity for me to showcase my skills. We have always looked up to Mithali ji. It's a great opportunity for me to interact with her and seek tips from her," said Gautam, referring to Giants mentor Mithali Raj, who was at the auction table.
On the players she is excited about bowling to, Gautam said: "I think Alyssa Healy or any other foreign batter like Hayley Matthews."
Gautam was not part of the opening WPL edition but she tracked the proceedings from the sidelines and learned from them too.
"I think teams need to be more impactful in the lower middle order batting. They need to accelerate in the last 3-4 overs, so I have practiced accordingly. I have worked on range hitting. I have to be flexible with my bowling, to be able to bowl well with both the new and old balls."
Her mother too could not be more proud of her.
"She began playing cricket from the age of 13 and what you see today is the result of her hard work. We always trusted her hard work and will continue doing so in the future. She is also a very good student and always scores above 90%.
"She is a second-year student at Khalsa College and manages her time very well. The aggression you see in her is restricted only to the field of play. At home, she is very cool and calm. She is of reserved nature," she told Jio Cinema.
(With PTI inputs)
