WPL 2025: Danni Wyatt-Hodge traded to Royal Challengers Bengaluru from UP Warriorz

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) England opener Danni Wyatt-Hodge has been traded to Royal Challengers Bengaluru from UP Warriorz ahead of the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL), the tournament's governing council informed on Wednesday. Originally acquired by UP Warriorz in the auction ahead of the 2024 WPL season for INR 30 lakh, Danni didn’t get to play any game as the side failed to enter the playoffs. With this trade, Danni will move to RCB, the defending champions of the tournament, at her existing fee.

Danni, 33, brings a wealth of experience to RCB, having played 164 T20Is for England - the highest number of matches played by a women’s cricketer from her country. She has made 2979 runs at an average of 22.91 and strike-rate of 127.85, including two centuries and 16 fifties.

Danni, known for her aggressive batting strokeplay at the top, was also a member of the England team winning the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup on home soil and had previously mentioned on her X account that RCB was her favourite team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). “It was always meant to be. Welcome to RCB!” wrote the franchise in a post on their ‘X’ account.

It is believed that all five teams have time till November 7 to submit the list of their retained players ahead of WPL 2025. Each team can have a squad of 18 members with six overseas players. Following this, a mini-auction will be held again, but there is no word yet on when the auction ahead of the 2025 season will take place.

The first-ever WPL season was held in 2023 and was won by Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians, with matches played in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai respectively. The 2024 season was held in Bengaluru and New Delhi, with Smriti Mandhana-led RCB becoming the winners.

--IANS

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