Source – Women’s Premier League (WPL) wplt20.com
On 27 November 2025, BCCI Conducted The WPL 2026 Auction, in New Delhi, marked a significant step toward the evolution of the Women’s Premier League. This year franchise focused less on impulsive bidding, instead emphasizing more on strategic squad-building and long-term planning. Of the 277 players in the auction pool, only 67 were bought, clearly showing that franchises are now prioritizing fit and impact over numbers. One of the biggest moments came when Deepti Sharma attracted a historic bid, reinforcing the increasing demand of elite Indian all-rounders in the league.
Instead of focusing solely on star names, franchises concentrated on building balanced squads, carefully blending experience with rising talent. Overall, the WPL 2026 auction set the foundation for an exciting and intensely competitive season, offering fans a clear glimpse into the league’s more structured and professional future.
WPL 2026 Auction Key Static
Total players sold: 67
Overseas players sold: 23
Total amount spent: ₹40.8 crore
Most expensive player: Deepti Sharma (₹3.20 crore)
Auction Purse, Rules and Strategy
Each franchise entered the auction cycle with an overall purse of around ₹ 15 crore. However due to player retentions and earlier signings, the actual amount available to spent varied significantly between teams.
One of the most impactful element of the WPL 2026 auction was the Right-To-Match (RTM) card, which allowed teams to reclaim the players they released previously by matching the highest bid on them. The RTM card added a tactical layer to the auction and forced team to bid carefully.
Throughout the auction, franchises carefully balanced:
- Star signings vs overall squad depth.
- A strong Indian core vs overseas players.
- Smart budget use vs aggressive bidding.
- Short-term impact vs long-term team stability
The auction ultimately rewarded planning and clarity over impulsive decisions.
Biggest Buys of the WPL 2026 Auction.
The auction’s biggest moment came with Deepti Sharma becoming the most expensive player in WPL auction history.
Top 5 biggest buys:
- Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz) – ₹3.20 crore
- Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians) – ₹3.00 crore
- Shikha Pandey (UP Warriorz) – ₹2.40 crore
- Sophie Devine (Gujarat Giants) – ₹2.00 crore
- Meg Lanning (UP Warriorz) – ₹1.90 crore
Source – Women’s Premier League (WPL) wplt20.com
Deepti Sharma’s auction value reflected her all-round contribution, leadership abilities, and sustained international performance. Mumbai Indians securing Amelia Kerr continued their trend of targeting elite all-rounders. Meanwhile UP Warriorz focused more on experience, leadership, and dependable match-winners.
Team-Wise WPL 2026 Auction Analysis
Source – Women’s Premier League (WPL) wplt20.com
UP Warriorz (UPW)
- Total players: 18
- Indian players: 12
- Overseas players: 6
UP Warriorz emerged as one of the most strategic teams in the auction. Using the RTM card to bring back Deepti Sharma for ₹3.20 crore set the tone. With leaders like Meg Lanning and emerging stars such as Phoebe Litchfield, they balanced experience and youth. A solid Indian core with quality overseas player makes them one of the most balanced and title-ready squads.
- Deepti Sharma — RTM ₹3.2 Cr
- Shikha Pandey — ₹2.4 Cr
- Meg Lanning — ₹1.9 Cr
- Phoebe Litchfield — ₹1.2 Cr
- Asha Sobhana — ₹1.1 Cr
- Sophie Ecclestone — RTM ₹85 Lakh
- Deandra Dottin — ₹80 Lakh
- Kiran Navgire — RTM ₹60 Lakh
- Harleen Deol — ₹50 Lakh
- Kranti Goud — RTM ₹50 Lakh
- Pratika Rawal — ₹50 Lakh
- Shweta Sehrawat — Retained ₹50 Lakh
- Chloe Tryon — ₹30 Lakh
- Shipra Giri — ₹10 Lakh
- Simran Shaikh — ₹10 Lakh
- Tara Norris — ₹10 Lakh
- Suman Meena — ₹10 Lakh
- G. Trisha — ₹10 Lakh
Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Total players: 16
- Indian players: 10
- Overseas players: 6
Mumbai Indians played it cool but deadly, snapping up Amelia Kerr for ₹3 crore to strengthen their all-rounder lineup. With leaders like Harmanpreet Kaur and multi-talented players like Nat Sciver-Brunt, MI didn’t just fill slots—they strengthened their winning core.
Nat Sciver-Brunt — ₹3.5 Cr
- Amelia Kerr — ₹3.0 Cr
- Harmanpreet Kaur — ₹2.5 Cr
- Hayley Matthews — ₹1.75 Cr
- Amanjot Kaur — ₹1.0 Cr
- Sajana Sajeevan — ₹75 Lakh
- Shabnim Ismail — ₹60 Lakh
- Nicola Carey — ₹30 Lakh
- Saika Ishaque — ₹30 Lakh
- G. Kamalini (uncapped) — ₹50 Lakh
- Sanskriti Gupta — ₹20 Lakh
- Triveni Vasistha — ₹20 Lakh
- Poonam Khemnar — ₹10 Lakh
- Rahila Firdous — ₹10 Lakh
- Nalla Reddy — ₹10 Lakh
- Milly Illingworth — ₹10 Lakh
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
- Total players: 16
- Indian players: 10
- Overseas players: 6
RCB focused on smart, strategic buys rather than big-name splashes.key signing Lauren Bell for ₹90 lakh strengthened their bowling, while retaining Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, and Richa Ghosh kept their core intact and balanced and ensured squad continuity.
- Smriti Mandhana — ₹3.5 Cr
- Richa Ghosh — ₹2.75 Cr
- Ellyse Perry — ₹2.0 Cr
- Lauren Bell — ₹90 Lakh
- Pooja Vastrakar — ₹85 Lakh
- Arundhati Reddy — ₹75 Lakh
- Grace Harris — ₹75 Lakh
- Shreyanka Patil — ₹60 Lakh
- Nadine de Klerk — ₹65 Lakh
- Radha Yadav — ₹65 Lakh
- Georgia Voll — ₹60 Lakh
- Linsey Smith — ₹30 Lakh
- D. Hemalatha — ₹30 Lakh
- Prema Rawat — RTM ₹20 Lakh
- Gautami Naik — ₹10 Lakh
- Prathyoosha Kumar — ₹10 Lakh
Gujarat Giants (GG)
Total players: 18
Indian players: 12
Overseas players: 6
Gujarat Giants may have stayed out of the limelight, but they quietly assembled a deep and versatile squad. The signing of Sophie Devine for ₹2 crore brought explosive batting and dependable bowling, giving them an edge in multiple areas. Their approach emphasized squad depth and flexibility, showing that smart planning can be more effective than chasing big names.
- Ashleigh Gardner — ₹3.5 Cr
- Beth Mooney — ₹2.5 Cr
- Sophie Devine — ₹2.0 Cr
- Georgia Wareham — ₹1.0 Cr
- Bharti Fulmali — RTM ₹70 Lakh
- Renuka Singh Thakur — ₹60 Lakh
- Kashvee Gautam — RTM ₹65 Lakh
- Danni Wyatt-Hodge — ₹50 Lakh
- Yastika Bhatia — ₹50 Lakh
- Kim Garth — ₹50 Lakh
- Tanuja Kanwer — ₹45 Lakh
- Anushka Sharma — ₹45 Lakh
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad — ₹40 Lakh
- Titas Sadhu — ₹30 Lakh
- Ayushi Soni — ₹30 Lakh
- Kanika Ahuja — ₹30 Lakh
- Happy Kumari — ₹10 Lakh
- Shivani Singh — ₹10 Lakh
Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Total players: 16
- Indian players: 10
- Overseas players: 6
Delhi Capitals aimed for stability and strategic depth. They strengthened their Indian lineup while handpicking overseas players, avoiding aggressive bidding wars. The team’s approach favored reliability and long-term consistency over high-risk.
- Jemimah Rodrigues — ₹2.2 Cr
- Shafali Verma — ₹2.2 Cr
- Annabel Sutherland — ₹2.2 Cr
- Marizanne Kapp — ₹2.2 Cr
- Chinelle Henry — ₹1.3 Cr
- Shree Charani — ₹1.3 Cr
- Laura Wolvaardt — ₹1.1 Cr
- Sneh Rana — ₹50 Lakh
- Minnu Mani — ₹40 Lakh
- Lizelle Lee — ₹30 Lakh
- Taniyaa Bhatia — ₹30 Lakh
- Nandni Sharma — ₹20 Lakh
- Niki Prasad (uncapped) — ₹50 Lakh
- Deeya Yadav — ₹10 Lakh
- Mamatha Madiwala — ₹10 Lakh
- Lucy Hamilton — ₹10 Lakh
Major Shocks at The WPL 2026 Auction
No auction is complete without surprises. One of the biggest shocks at the WPL 2026 auction was Alyssa Healy going unsold, despite being one of the most accomplished wicketkeeper-batters in the world, few other international names also missed out, underlining that modern auctions are guided by team needs and strategy rather than reputation alone.