Aussie cricket star suddenly $560k richer

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. Watch every game of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup Live & Free or catch up with Kayo Minis on Kayo Freebies. Join now and start streaming instantly >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.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.Australian legspinner Alana King went surprisingly went unsold, as did New Zealand’s Suzie Bates and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt.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 AussiesAlana 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 HancockHighest overall bidsSmriti 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) Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au