WPL 2026 Auction: Preview, Rules, Marquee Players, Remaining Purse And Slots - All You Need To Know

The 2026 Women’s Premier League mega auction arrives in New Delhi on Thursday, marking the first full-scale reshuffle since the league’s launch in 2023.

With 277 players registered, 194 Indians and 83 overseas, and only 73 slots available, the five franchises step into the most competitive and high-stakes auction the WPL has seen so far.

This is the first mega auction since India’s World Cup triumph, making World Cup performances a major factor in player demand. WPL 2026 retentions key talking points have already highlighted which teams enter the auction with strong cores and which are set for a major rebuild.

For the first time, teams were allowed to retain only five players, forcing every franchise into some level of rebuild. UP Warriorz retained just one player, uncapped batter Shweta Sehrawat, and now walk into the room with the biggest purse of ₹14.5 crore and four RTM options.

Gujarat Giants, having held on to only Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, also carry a strong ₹9 crore purse.

On the other end, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, who retained the maximum five players, enter the auction with limited budgets and no RTMs to protect any former squad member.

This year’s pool features a wide range of talent, from 16-year-olds Deeya Yadav and Bharati Singh to 37-year-old pace veteran Shabnim Ismail.

Breakout World Cup performers such as left-arm spinner N Shree Charani and Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield are expected to attract early attention, especially with recency bias playing a role at major auctions.

Marquee Players In The Fray

The marquee set that opens the auction features eight headline names -Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Ecclestone, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, and Laura Wolvaardt.

These eight will set the tone for the auction's early bidding battles.

Most Expensive Indian Players In Women’s Premier League History

Smriti Mandhana – ₹3.40 crore (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
The costliest player in WPL history. Signed for ₹3.40 crore in 2023, led RCB to the 2024 title, and remains retained for 2026.

Deepti Sharma – ₹2.60 crore (UP Warriorz)
Bought for ₹2.60 crore in the inaugural auction. Scored 507 runs and took 27 wickets in 25 games before UPW released her ahead of the 2026 mega auction.

Jemimah Rodrigues – ₹2.20 crore (Delhi Capitals)
Picked for ₹2.20 crore in 2023. Has 507 runs at an average of 28 and has been retained by Delhi for the same amount for 2026.

Shafali Verma – ₹2.00 crore (Delhi Capitals)
One of WPL’s top performers with 865 runs and eight fifties. Despite patchy recent form, Delhi retained her for ₹2.20 crore for the 2026 season.

Kashvee Gautam – ₹2.00 crore (Gujarat Giants)
The standout uncapped buy of 2024 at ₹2.00 crore. Made her ODI debut in 2025 but went wicketless in three games and has been released, entering the 2026 auction pool again.

WPL 2026: Retained Players

Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini

RTM: 0 | Slots: 13 (4 overseas) | Purse: ₹5.75 crore

Delhi Capitals: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Niki Prasad

RTM: 0 | Slots: 13 (4 overseas) | Purse: ₹5.70 crore

UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat

RTM: 4 | Slots: 17 (6 overseas) | Purse: ₹14.5 crore

Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney

RTM: 3 (Indians only) | Slots: 16 (4 overseas) | Purse: ₹9 crore

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil

RTM: 1 (uncapped Indian) | Slots: 14 (5 overseas) | Purse: ₹6.15 crore

Remaining Purse & Slots

WPL 2026 Auction Rules

• Maximum squad size: 18 players

• Minimum squad size: 15 players

• Total slots available: 73, including 23 overseas

• Teams may use up to five RTM cards, depending on retentions

• Teams with fewer retentions get more RTMs and bigger purses

• Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals: no RTMs available

• Combined purse across all teams: ₹41.1 crore

Also Read - Women’s Premier League 2026: When And Where Will Upcoming WPL Edition Be Played? Check Details

WPL 2026 Auction: Live Streaming

When and where is the WPL 2026 mega auction being held?

The WPL 2026 mega auction will be held on November 27 in New Delhi, with the process starting at 3:30 PM IST.

Also Read - WPL Auction 2025 All You Need To Know: Date, Start Time, Big Names, Slots To Fill, Purse Left

Where to watch the WPL 2026 mega auction?

The WPL 2026 mega auction will be telecast on the Star Sports network, while the live streaming will be available on JioHotstar, both on the website and the app.