New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): Delhi Capitals strengthened their squad for the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) 2027 season, securing four players at the auction in Kochi on Wednesday. With a strong core of 13 retained players, the franchise added explosive Indian batter Kiran Navgire, promising 15-year-old all-rounder Uma Kashvi, Indian all-rounder Nazma Khan and Scotland spinner Kirstie Gordon to complete its 17-member squad.

Delhi Capitals spent Rs 1.05 crore at the auction, taking their total squad expenditure to Rs 14.95 crore, including Rs 13.9 crore spent on retentions. Navgire was the franchise's marquee acquisition at Rs 75 lakh, while Kashvi, Khan and Gordon were secured for Rs 10 lakh each.

Speaking after the auction, the team's Head Coach Jonathan Batty expressed satisfaction with the franchise's acquisitions, highlighting the additional firepower in the batting department, the depth of the squad and the potential of its newest young recruit.

"Kiran was a high-value target for us. She is probably the most dynamic and powerful batter in the auction. With Shafali at the top of the order and power further down the lineup with players like Chinelle Henry, Kiran gives us another dimension to consider in our batting order. It has the potential to make our batting lineup absolutely staggering," Batty said as per a press release.

One of Delhi Capitals' most exciting acquisitions was Uma Kashvi, the 15-year-old Karnataka all-rounder who became the youngest player to be sold in WPL auction history. A right-arm spin-bowling all-rounder, Kashvi has represented India Under-19 in a series against Sri Lanka Under-19, gaining valuable exposure to the international junior circuit at an early stage of her career.

Batty credited the franchise's scouting network for tracking Kashvi's progress and emphasised that her signing was a long-term investment in her development.

"She has been on our radar for a little while. Our scouts have watched her play extensively and shared some incredible feedback, and I have seen her play as well. We believe she could become an absolute superstar in the future,' said Batty.

At 15, she is very much a work in progress, and we are not expecting her to be the finished article just yet. This is a long-term project for Delhi Capitals.'

"It is a wonderful opportunity for her to be part of this setup, learn from our top coaches and work alongside international stars. Hopefully, she will learn a huge amount from the players around her. This is the first step on a journey that we hope will lead to Indian recognition in the future, and we're excited to see her progress," Batty continued. 

Delhi Capitals retained a formidable core ahead of the auction, featuring captain Jemimah Rodrigues, explosive opener Shafali Verma, experienced all-rounders Marizanne Kapp and Annabel Sutherland, and South African batter Laura Wolvaardt. The retained group also includes Chinelle Henry, N Shree Charani and several promising Indian players, giving the coaching staff a strong foundation to build on.

Reflecting on the overall squad composition, Batty said the new additions had further strengthened both the starting eleven and the team's bench strength.

"Going into the auction, we already had a really strong group of 13 players. Our starting lineup was very strong even before the auction, and I think we have strengthened it further. We now have the potential to improve both our starting eleven and our squad depth. It is going to give me some selection headaches as a coach, which is a really good thing. That's exactly what we want - difficult decisions because we have the strongest squad possible," he said.

Concluding his assessment of the auction, Batty said, "We are really happy with how things went. There were lots of different dynamics at play, but I think it went as well as we could have hoped."

Delhi Capitals full squad for WPL 2027

Retained players:

Jemimah Rodrigues - Rs 2.20 croreShafali Verma - Rs 2.20 croreMarizanne Kapp - Rs 2.20 croreAnnabel Sutherland - Rs 2.20 croreChinelle Henry - Rs 1.30 croreN. Shree Charani - Rs 1.30 croreLaura Wolvaardt - Rs 1.10 croreNiki Prasad - Rs 50 lakhMinnu Mani - Rs 40 lakhNandani Sharma - Rs 20 lakhDeeya Yadav - Rs 10 lakhMamatha Madiwala - Rs 10 lakhLucy Hamilton - Rs 10 lakh

Players acquired at the WPL 2027 auction:

Kiran Navgire - Rs 75 lakhUma Kashvi - Rs 10 lakhNazma Khan - Rs 10 lakhKirstie Gordon - Rs 10 lakh. (ANI)