WPL Mega Auction 2026: Key Players, Team Budgets, And Retention Options - Explained

The Women's Premier League (WPL) is set for a mega auction on November 27, featuring 277 players. Key players like Deepti Sharma and Meg Lanning are expected to attract intense bidding. Teams have specific budget limits and retention options for players.

The Women's Premier League (WPL) is gearing up for a significant change with a mega auction scheduled for November 27 in Delhi, starting at 3:30 pm IST. This auction will see 277 players, comprising 194 Indian and 83 overseas talents, vying for slots in the 2026 season.

The maximum slots available for the auction are 73, with 50 designated for Indian players and 23 for overseas players. Each team can have a squad of up to 18 players, with a minimum of 15 required, including a cap of six overseas players.

WPL Mega Auction Details

Once the initial 67 players are presented, an accelerated round will commence. Franchises will nominate a specific number of players from the remaining pool for further consideration. Additionally, teams can submit unpresented or unsold players' names from the full list of 277 for future bidding.

Top players like former Australian captain Meg Lanning, New Zealand's Amelia Kerr, and Australia's Phoebe Litchfield are expected to spark intense bidding wars. South Africans Laura Wolvaardt and Nadine de Klerk are also anticipated to attract significant attention due to their recent performances.

Among Indian players, Deepti Sharma, the Women's World Cup Player of the Tournament, is likely to be highly sought after. Kranti Gaud and N Shree Charani are also expected to fetch substantial bids.

Retention and RTM Options

Franchises have the option to retain up to five players using either retentions or the right-to-match (RTM) option. Of these, a maximum of three can be capped Indians, two can be overseas, and two can be uncapped Indians. If a team wishes to retain five players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian.

The Delhi Capitals retained Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, and Niki Prasad. Gujarat Giants kept Ash Gardner and Beth Mooney. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians retained Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, and G Kamalini.

For the first time, WPL teams can use RTM cards to buy back a player from their 2025 squad. UP Warriorz, having retained only one player, have four RTM cards available. Gujarat Giants have three RTM cards for Indian players since they've retained two overseas players. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have one RTM card for an uncapped Indian player.

Team Budgets and Player Absences

Of the INR 15 crore budget, UP Warriorz have the largest remaining purse at INR 14.50 crore. Gujarat Giants follow with INR 9 crore, then Royal Challengers Bengaluru with INR 6.15 crore, Mumbai Indians with INR 5.75 crore, and Delhi Capitals with INR 5.70 crore. Both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals need to buy at least ten players each to complete their squads.

Notable absentees from the auction list include Australia's Tahlia McGrath and Sophie Molineux, as well as former South African captain Dane van Niekerk. Despite her comeback to international cricket, van Niekerk isn't part of this auction.

Associate Players and Tournament Schedule

Teams can include a fifth overseas player in their XI if she is from an Associate nation. However, they are considered like any other overseas player for squad composition. Only four Associate players are part of the auction: Theertha Satish and Esha Oza from the UAE, Tara Norris from the USA, and Thipatcha Putthawong from Thailand.

The WPL is set to kick off on January 7, with the final planned for the first week of February. The first half will be held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and the latter half at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, though the complete schedule is yet to be announced.

Smriti Mandhana, who led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first title in 2024, has been retained for Rs 3.5 crore. She has accumulated 646 runs in 26 matches, showcasing her talent as an opener.

Ashleigh Gardner, retained by Gujarat Giants for Rs 3.20 crore, has been a dynamic all-rounder, though the team has struggled to perform well in recent seasons. Nat Sciver-Brunt justified her Rs 3.20 crore price for Mumbai Indians with consistent performances, scoring 1,027 runs and taking 32 wickets.

Deepti Sharma, valued at Rs 2.60 crore by UP Warriorz, has been a standout performer with over 500 runs and 27 wickets. Jemimah Rodrigues, bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2.20 crore, has consistently helped her team reach the WPL finals.