The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction is imminent, and the five participating franchises have finalized their retentions. As expected, several high‑profile players have been retained, while some notable performers from the recently concluded Women’s World Cup 2025 have been released. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, vice‑captain Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma are among the prominent players who will continue with their respective WPL franchises. However, big names such as Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr and Deepti Sharma have been released.
Each franchise was allowed to retain a maximum of five players. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have utilized all five retentions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has retained four, Gujarat Giants two, and UP Warriorz only one. The retained players have been categorized into various price brackets ahead of the auction.
A team‑wise breakdown shows that UP Warriorz has retained batting all‑rounder Shweta Sehrawat for ₹50 lakhs. Gujarat Giants have kept the Australian duo Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, valued at ₹3.5 crores and ₹2.5 crores respectively. Royal Challengers Bengaluru have retained their core, including captain Smriti Mandhana, who is retained for ₹3.5 crores. Delhi Capitals have held onto Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Niki Prasad, with Jemimah being one of the highest retentions at ₹2.2 crores. Mumbai Indians have retained skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver‑Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini and Hayley Matthews, with Nat Sciver‑Brunt being the first retention at ₹3.5 crores.
These retentions provide insight into the franchises’ strategies ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction. The release of high‑profile players like Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning may spark intense bidding wars during the auction. The 2026 season is expected to be highly competitive, with teams aiming to assemble strong squads to contend for the title. As the auction approaches, fans and pundits alike will watch closely, eager to see how the teams shape up for the upcoming season.
Comments are closed for this story.