The Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega auction saw a record set in New Delhi on Thursday, with 16-year-old Deeya Yadav becoming the youngest player ever to be purchased by a franchise. The hard-hitting top-order batter was acquired by the Delhi Capitals (DC) at her base price of ₹10 lakh.
Yadav’s acquisition by DC is particularly notable as it reunites her with her role model, India opener and World Cup final Player of the Match, Shafali Verma. The teenager has played alongside Verma for the Haryana state team for the past three years, an association that has heavily influenced her aggressive style of batting. Verma herself took to social media to congratulate her young teammate, welcoming her to the franchise.
The influence of Verma was evident two years ago when Yadav smashed an unbeaten 213 runs off just 125 balls during the Under-15 women’s one-day cup in Raipur, an innings she credits as a “turning point” in her career. DC CEO Sunil Gupta confirmed that the franchise had been tracking Yadav since her breakout performance, noting her seamless transition to senior cricket and her “fearless approach, range of shots, and ball-striking ability.”
In the recent Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, Yadav was Haryana’s second-highest run-scorer, accumulating 298 runs in six matches. The Faridabad-born cricketer, who also idolizes MS Dhoni, started her journey in Pune before relocating to Haryana. She now expresses excitement about playing alongside not only Verma but also international players like Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Wolvaardt, hoping to learn how they handle pressure in high-stakes matches.
