6.25pm IST | Stumps: And, we, are, done. Officially. It's time to knock the bails off. Bring on the 2024 WPL season already. It might be just 30 minutes since we put our squad together, but the wait is killing us. Paltan, you know the drill, you know the chants. Someone, create a time machine and get us into February, please. Flock the ground, wear your colours, and let's paint the country in Blue and Gold, and until we see you out there, ta ta!! 

There's one last round of the auction remaining for the other teams to stack up, but we are done for the evening. Say hello to MI's squad for WPL 2024. 

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5.50pm IST: And we are done. One slot, and we pick one immediately. Keerthana Balakrishnan, who spins the ball both ways, bamboozling batters for fun, from the land of mystery spin, Tamil Nadu, is picked up to finish our squad of 18! Our batch of 2024 is ready. 

5.45 pm IST: The cricketing prodigy coming up through the ranks of age-group in the maidaans of Mumbai, Fatima Jaffer, another left-arm spinner from the stables, who also happens to be the niece of former Mumbai stalwart, Wasim Jaffer, is the latest to join our ranks. At her base price of 10 lakhs INR. 

5.20pm IST: In case you're wondering who Sajana Sajeevan is, she's one of the star upcoming all-rounders from Kerala. She bowls off-spin, bats right-handed in the middle-order. Her USP? Finishing games. And Amandeep Kaur? She plays for Haryana, is a solid left-arm spinner who bowls who both orthodox and wrist spin. If anything, the middle-order was a tad untested last season, but in true MI style, we are stacking them up. 

Also, here's Guru Charlotte Edwards, our Head Coach, speaking about Shabnim's inclusion: “She’s been a  wonderful fast bowlers for a number of years. We feel very fortunate to have picked her up. We believe she will strengthen our squad and that is what these small auctions are about.”

Here's the South African Express, Shabnim Ismail, speaking, "First of I was excited when they started bidding for me. Happy to get the second opportunity to play for the WPL. Very happy to play for the champs. Good to play for different team and looking forward to play under Jhulan Goswami and learning from her. Will love to share my knowledge with the youngsters. Never too old to learn."

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5.00pm IST | Tea time: One final break. Every team has been asked to submit a list of five players for an accelerated auction round. Breathe .. 

4.40pm IST: No time wastage post the time-out. Much like the team on the field, at the Auction table as well, we waste no time in kicking things off. In the uncapped cricketers round, we snap them up like hot cakes, back-to-back. 

4.15pm IST: A strategic time-out. Here's how we stand: Money left: 90 lakhs INR. Overseas slot left: 0. Indian slots left: 4. Quick, celebrate all you want. We have the world's quickest in the country's quickest city, set to bowl with the whole city screaming behind her. 

Here's the most fun bit of trivia you'd ever find: Shabnim Ismail's jersey number is 89 - as a tribute to her role model, Andre Nel, who was also a part of the Mumbai Indians #OneFamily back in 2008. Nostalgia, brimming! Welcome home, Shabnim! 

We have a buy. WE HAVE A BUY. Shabnim Ismail -- South African legend, a certified pace gun, the fastest in the world. We bid for her, and do not stop until we have her. Smileeee, because we now have Ismail!!!

3.40pm IST: We have a 10 minute break. You don't need water yet. Grab your popcorn rather. Large tub! We have 2.1cr in the purse, and the next section coming up is of fast bowlers and spinners. 

3.25pm IST: Come the all-rounders, and Mumbai Indians are right in the thick of things. Annabel Sutherland breaks the bank, and goes home with 2cr INR. We went right until the end, but at 1.90cr INR, had to pull out. Delhi Capitals snap her up. 

3.00pm IST: Let's start. Chala Paltan, suru karuya.. Ganpati Bappa Moryaa ..

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2.45 pm IST | Rules time: The players have registered their base prices in slabs of INR 50 lakh, INR 40 lakh, INR 30 lakh, INR 20 lakh and INR 10 lakh. Bids up to 1 crore INR would be in increments of 5 lakhs INR, from 1-2 crore INR in increments of 10 lakhs INR, and beyond 2 crore INR in increments of 20 lakhs INR.

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Harmanpreet Kaur (speaking to Jio Cinema): "Very excited because the way our first season. Hopefully we'll get the best team and the best performance this year as well. Our overseas players are more or less sorted. We'll look to think as per our team's requirement. The domestic players play a big role in this tournament's format."

2.40 pm IST: It's a 3pm start, and much like every big game, we'll start with a chat with our captain. Right, this is your blog, your corner on the afternoon of the auction. We'll bring you a blow-by-blow account of the live action from an MI lens, every buy, some misses, some half-hits. Keep scrolling! 

* MI's purse: 2.1cr INR

* Slots to be filled: A maximum of 5 players (4 Indians, 1 overseas)

* Players retained: 13 players have been retained. Title-winning Kaptaan Harmanpreet Kaur, Most Valuable Player And Purple Cap recipient - Hayley Matthews, Emerging Player of the season - Yastika Bhatia, Player of the Final - Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Isabelle Wong, Chloe Tryon, Pooja Vastrakar, Saika Ishaque, Amanjot Kaur, Jintimani Kalita, Humairaa Kaazi and Priyanka Bala are the 13 retained players who will don the famous Blue and Gold once again come 2024.

* Total players available in the auction: 104 Indians, 64 overseas 

2.30pm IST: It's shopping time. We have the crown, and we are going to do everything on the face of the earth to defend it. And it starts now, in exactly 30 minutes. If 2023 was history, 2024 is about continuity. Okay, let's tell you the rules, what we need, what we have, and most importantly, what you need to do ..