Ash Gardner’s eye-watering $558k payday in inaugural women’s IPL auction

Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner is half a million dollars richer after a life-changing payday at the first ever women’s IPL auction.

Women’s cricket has changed forever.

Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner has been bought for more than half a million dollars at the inaugural women’s Indian Premier League auction.

The versatile all-rounder is a prototypical T20 player and was snapped up by the Gujara Giants for the eye-watering sum of $558,000.

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The Australian women’s team is currently in South Africa for the T20 World Cup, and Gardner was seen watching the auction during a training session.

🏏⭐️ Ash Gardner just went for $558,000 AUD in the Women’s IPL auction. A huge result and a game changer for women’s sport. Congratulations.

— Adam Crosthwaite (@AJCrosthwaite) February 13, 2023

Ash Gardner watches herself get auctioned off for A$558,000!

Ellyse Perry was - no surprises here - in the nets when she went under the hammer #T20WorldCup#WPLAuctionpic.twitter.com/ar3xhKGEB0

— Laura Jolly (@JollyLauz18) February 13, 2023

$557,000

That is what the Gugurat Giants have just paid to acquire the services of AUS all-rounder Ash Gardner at the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction

Safe to say women’s cricket has changed forever … and good luck to them 👏

🏏 #WPLAuction

— Glenn Mitchell (@MitchellGlenn) February 13, 2023

My mind is blown watching this!!! So so good #WPLAuction

— Alexandra Hartley (@AlexHartley93) February 13, 2023

The scenes from the #WPLAuction are making my heart sing. What a moment for cricket... not only women’s cricket - all cricket. If you invest in women, you invest in the future of young girls & that can only grow the game.

— Neroli Meadows (@Neroli_Meadows) February 13, 2023

Players from India and Australia were highly sought after, with classy Indian batter Smriti Mandhana receiving the highest bid of the auction from Royal Challengers Bangalore for 3.4 crore, which is around $593,000.

Other Australian players to be sold were Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland.

Australia's Ashleigh Gardner is half a million dollars richer after the first ever women’s IPL auction. (Photo by Marco Longari / AFP)

Australian legspinner Alana King went surprisingly went unsold, as did New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt.

Took two wickets in her first over of the #T20WorldCup. Madness.

— Lachlan McKirdy (@LMcKirdy7) February 13, 2023

There will be five teams in the first ever women’s IPL, which is set to take place in March before the men’s competition.

Australian players sold at women’s IPL auction (all prices AUD)

Ash Gardner - Gujarat Giants for 3.2 crore ($558,000)

Ellyse Perry - Royal Challengers Bangalore for 1.7 crore ($297,000)

Tahlia McGrath - UP Warriorz for 1.4 crore ($244,000)

Beth Mooney - Gujarat Giants for 2.0 crore ($349,000)

Meg Lanning - Delhi Capitals for 1.1 crore ($192,000)

Annabel Sutherland – Delhi Capitals for 70 lakh ($122,000)

Alyssa Healy – UP Warriorz for 70 lakh ($122,000)

Erin Burns – Royal Challengers Bangalore for 30 lakh ($52,000)

Heather Graham – Mumbai Indians for 30 lakh ($52,000)

Grace Harris – UP Warriorz for 75 lakh ($131,000)

Georgia Wareham – Gujarat Giants for 75 lakh ($131,000)

Laura Harris – Delhi Capitals for 45 lakh ($78,400)

Jess Jonassen – Delhi Capitals for 50 lakh ($87,000)

Megan Schutt – Royal Challengers Bangalore for 40 lakh ($69,000)

Unsold Aussies

Alana King, Kim Garth, Tess Flintoff, Darcie Brown, Phoebe Litchfield, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Elyse Villani, Nicola Carey, Sarah Coyte, Hannah Darlington, Stella Campbell, Lauren Cheatle, Holly Ferling, Anesu Mushangwe, Nicola Hancock

Highest overall bids

Smriti Mandhana – Royal Challengers Bangalore for 3.4 crore ($593,000)

Nat Sciver-Brunt – Mumbai Indians for 3.2 crore ($558,000)

Ash Gardner – Gujarat Giants for 3.2 crore ($558,000)

Deepti Sharma – UP Warriorz for 2.6 crore ($454,000)

Jemimah Rodrigues – Delhi Capitals for 2.2 crore ($384,000)

Beth Mooney – Gujarat Giants for 2 crore ($349,000)

Shafali Verma – Delhi Capitals for 2 crore ($349,000)