Orange wonder kid Pheobe Litchfield has found a home in the Indian Women's Premier League after a bidding war broke out for her services.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Litchfield was eventually picked up by Gujarat Giants in the annual auction for the price of $182,000 in what will be her first season in the competition.
The Women's Premier League is the female equivalent of the Indian Premier League, the biggest domestic T20 league in the world.
Its first edition was held in 2023 with Mumbai Indians taking out the title. The five teams are Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz.
Litchfield did not take part in the inaugural tournament in March but has since enjoyed a breakthrough year in both the white and red ball formats.
To kick things off she made her ODI debut against Pakistan in January, scoring an unbeaten 78.
Her T20 debut was backed up in June when she made her test debut in the Ashes test played at Trent Bridge.
The runs kept flowing in July when she scored her first ODI century against Ireland with a knock of 106 not out.
Then in October she hit a record-equalling half century in a T20 against West Indies, smacking 52 off just 19 balls at North Sydney Oval.
Her whirlwind year will be capped off with a historic test match in India, Australia's first in almost 40 years.
She is part of a 16-player squad due to fly out to the subcontinent in December for a test match, three ODIs and three T20s.
The 2024 Women's Premier League will be played from February 22 to March 17, 2024.