Ira Jadhav, 16, Becomes Top Buy in T20 Mumbai League Auction

Sixteen-year-old batter Ira Jadhav became the top buy in the inaugural T20 Mumbai League women's player auction, acquired by Akash Tigers for ₹10 lakh. The auction concluded Wednesday while Jadhav was attending a BCCI U-19 women's camp in Bengaluru, 983 kilometres from Mumbai.

Jadhav, a student at Shardashram Vidyamandir, made history last season by scoring the first triple century in the BCCI U-19 women's one-day tournament and later received the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic). She began training seriously during the pandemic, with her father setting up nets on their Pune terrace and coaching her using online resources.

A right-handed batter known for her aggressive front-foot play, Jadhav said she has not specifically trained for six-hitting but has developed it organically. She expressed excitement about playing at the Wankhede Stadium, calling it a major opportunity. The T20 Mumbai League is scheduled to begin later this year, with official fixtures expected to be announced by the Mumbai Cricket Association next month.