WPL Auction (2026) – Sold Players, Top Bids and Squad Changes

The WPL auction in New Delhi brought a mix of anticipation, excitement and quiet tension that filled the JW Marriott hall long before the first name was called. Team officials arrived with carefully planned strategies but were also prepared for quick adjustments because the talent pool for the season was deeper and far more competitive. For many players, this auction felt like a turning point as domestic stars shared the stage with proven international performers. Some franchises entered with limited purse space while others walked in with heavy budgets and multiple Right to Match options. As the day progressed, every paddle lifted carried a story of belief, pressure and ambition. 

The final squads of WPL T20 reflected not just financial decisions but the emotional weight of backing players who have grown with the league.

When And Where The WPL 2026 Auction Took Place?

The WPL T20  2026 auction was held on 29 November 2025 in New Delhi, turning the JW Marriott Hotel in Aerocity into the centre of attention for the entire cricket community. The spacious hall inside the hotel filled up early as franchise owners, coaches, analysts and support staff took their seats with detailed plans prepared after months of evaluation. 

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The environment blended excitement and quiet tension because everyone understood that this single day would shape how teams looked for the 2026 season. The hotel offered a comfortable yet intense setting where conversations shifted quickly from calm analysis to fast paced decision making as each player’s name appeared on the screen. 

Owners And Franchise Amounts Of All WPL Teams:

The launch of the Women’s Premier League created a major shift in Indian cricket, and the sale of the initial five franchises attracted massive attention.

WPL Team	Owner	Company	Franchise Amount (in Crore)
Gujarat Giants	Gautam Adani	Adani Sportsline (Adani Group)	1289
Mumbai Indians Women	Mukesh Ambani (via Nita Ambani as team head)	Indiawin Sports (Reliance Industries)	912.99
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women	Vijay Mallya originally founded RCB brand; now owned by Diageo	Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (Diageo India)	901
Delhi Capitals Women	Parth Jindal (JSW) & Kiran Kumar Grandhi (GMR)	JSW–GMR Cricket Pvt Ltd	810
UP Warriorz	Rajesh Sharma	Capri Global Holdings	757

Top Names Who Dominated The Auction Spotlight:

This auction became memorable because the biggest stars showed their worth early and left the room buzzing. 

1. Deepti Sharma attracted an immediate spirited bidding battle
2. Amelia Kerr remained among the most trusted overseas performers
3. Sophie Devine’s aggressive style interested multiple franchises
4. Sophie Ecclestone returned with consistent bowling strength
5. Renuka Singh offered reliable new ball breakthroughs

A few marquee names surprisingly went unsold which made the afternoon session feel even more unpredictable. Every time a star joined a new squad, the cameras shifted and analysts began recalculating team combinations.

Most Expensive Players Sold Out in WPL Auction 2026:

Below is a structured look at the top priced players who changed team combinations dramatically. These figures reflect how franchises planned their budgets and how competitive the bidding became for top tier talent.

Player Name	Team	Category	Price (Crore)
Deepti Sharma	UP Warriorz	Indian All Rounder	3.20
Amelia Kerr	Mumbai Indians	Overseas All Rounder	3.00
Sophie Devine	Gujarat Giants	Overseas Batter	2.00
Anushka Sharma	Gujarat Giants	Uncapped Player	0.45

How Teams Used Their Purse And RTM Options?

Franchises approached this auction with clearer strategies because the retention choices earlier in the year shaped their purse strength and flexibility. Their use of the Right to Match option changed multiple bidding battles and allowed them to reclaim both experience and stability. 

1. UP Warriorz used purse strength with sharp discipline
2. Delhi Capitals relied on familiar core and selective bids
3. Gujarat Giants targeted specific roles and domestic value
4. Mumbai Indians maintained clarity with structured strategy
5. Royal Challengers focused on steady growth of squad depth
6. Retained players shaped budget and late tactical choices
7. RTM options changed momentum in multiple dramatic sessions

Sold Out Players At The WPL 2026 Auction:

The WPL 2026 auction featured intense bidding throughout the day as franchises searched for dependable performers who could strengthen their squads for the upcoming season. 

Player Name	Team	Role / Note	Price (₹)
Deepti Sharma	UP Warriorz (RTM)	All rounder	3.20 crore
Amelia Kerr	Mumbai Indians	Overseas all rounder	3.00 crore
Sophie Devine	Gujarat Giants	Overseas batter and all rounder	2.00 crore
Meg Lanning	UP Warriorz	Overseas batter	1.90 crore
Phoebe Litchfield	UP Warriorz	Batter	1.20 crore
Laura Wolvaardt	Delhi Capitals	Overseas batter	1.10 crore
Chinelle Henry	Delhi Capitals	All rounder	1.30 crore
Sree Charani	Delhi Capitals	All rounder	1.30 crore
Bharti Fulmali	Gujarat Giants	Batter	70 lakh
Renuka Singh	Gujarat Giants	Bowler	60 lakh
Sophie Ecclestone	UP Warriorz (RTM)	Overseas spinner	85 lakh
Kiran Navgire	UP Warriorz (RTM)	Batter	60 lakh
Radha Yadav	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Spinner	65 lakh
Nadine de Klerk	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	All rounder	65 lakh
Harleen Deol	UP Warriorz	Batter and all rounder	50 lakh
Sneh Rana	Delhi Capitals	All rounder	50 lakh
Kashvee Gautam	Gujarat Giants	Batter	65 lakh
Yastika Bhatia	Gujarat Giants	Wicketkeeper batter	50 lakh
Danni Wyatt	Gujarat Giants	Overseas batter	50 lakh
Titas Sadhu	Gujarat Giants	Bowler	30 lakh
Kanika Ahuja	Gujarat Giants	Batter	30 lakh
Ayushi Soni	Gujarat Giants	Batter	30 lakh
Happy Kumari	Gujarat Giants	Uncapped player	10 lakh

Unsold Players At The WPL 2026 Auction:

The WPL 2026 auction produced many memorable bidding battles, but it also featured several names who surprisingly remained unsold despite entering the event with strong domestic records and consistent performances.  

Player	Type	Team	Base (₹ crore)	Sold (₹ crore)
A Soni	AR	GG W	0.30	0.30
D Hemalatha	AR	RCB W	0.30	0.30
DN Wyatt	BAT	GG W	0.50	0.50
Nalla Reddy	AR	MI W	0.10	0.10
GJ Naik	AR	RCB W	0.10	0.10
SL Meena	AR	UPW W	0.10	0.10
T Vasistha	AR	MI W	0.20	0.20
LK Hamilton	AR	DC W	0.10	0.10
CL Tryon	AR	UPW W	0.30	0.30
Shivani Singh	BAT	GG W	0.10	0.10
Simran Shaikh	BAT	UPW W	0.10	0.10
YH Bhatia	BAT	GG W	0.30	0.50
Pratika Rawal	AR	UPW W	0.50	0.50
NJ Carey	AR	MI W	0.30	0.30
AB Sharma	AR	GG W	0.10	0.45
TG Norris	AR	UPW W	0.10	0.10
G Wareham	AR	GG W	0.50	1.00
RM Firdous	BAT	MI W	0.10	0.10
PN Khemnar	AR	MI W	0.10	0.10
RS Gayakwad	BOWL	GG W	0.40	0.40
T Bhatia	BAT	DC W	0.30	0.30
P Vastrakar	AR	RCB W	0.50	0.85
S Sajana	AR	MI W	0.30	0.75

Team Wise Overseas Players For The 2026 Season:

Overseas selections remain a vital foundation for every franchise because these players contribute experience, adaptability and match control at crucial moments. Teams filled their overseas slots based on squad gaps and preferred roles. 

Team	Overseas Count	Key Overseas Player	Strength Zone
Delhi Capitals	6	Laura Wolvaardt	Top order stability
Gujarat Giants	5	Sophie Devine	Power hitting impact
Mumbai Indians	5	Amelia Kerr	All round versatility
Royal Challengers Bengaluru	4	Sophie Molineux	Spin depth and control
UP Warriorz	3	Sophie Ecclestone	Middle overs bowling

Retained Players List of WPL Auction 2026:

Teams entered the WPL 2026 season with a strong foundation by retaining their most trusted performers across roles. These retained players formed the core around which each squad was rebuilt.

Team	Player Name	Role	Salary (₹ Cr)
UP Warriorz	Shweta Sehrawat	Batter	0.50
Gujarat Giants	Ashleigh Gardner	All Rounder	3.50
Gujarat Giants	Beth Mooney	Wicket Keeper	2.50
Royal Challengers Bangalore	Smriti Mandhana	Batter	3.50
Royal Challengers Bangalore	Richa Ghosh	Wicket Keeper	2.75
Royal Challengers Bangalore	Ellyse Perry	All Rounder	2.00
Royal Challengers Bangalore	Shreyanka Patil	Bowler	0.60
Delhi Capitals	Marizanne Kapp	All Rounder	2.20
Delhi Capitals	Annabel Sutherland	All Rounder	2.20
Delhi Capitals	Shafali Verma	Batter	2.20
Delhi Capitals	Jemimah Rodrigues	Batter	2.20
Delhi Capitals	Niki Prasad	Batter	0.50
Mumbai Indians	Nat Sciver	All Rounder	3.50
Mumbai Indians	Harmanpreet Kaur	Batter	2.50
Mumbai Indians	Hayley Matthews	All Rounder	1.75
Mumbai Indians	Amanjot Kaur	All Rounder	1.00
Mumbai Indians	G Kamalini	Wicket Keeper	0.50

International Stars Who Missed Out in WPL Auction 2026:

Not every experienced player found a place this season and that became one of the more emotional layers of the auction. A few veterans who once commanded early bids did not attract interest this time. 

• When names like Alyssa Healy and Heather Knight remained untouched, the room fell into a brief silence. 
• Their absence from the final squad lists reminded everyone that team strategies have shifted to younger profiles and more flexible roles. 

Some franchises preferred power hitters, while others prioritized all rounders capable of shaping end overs. Teams also paid closer attention to recent form and player availability. 

WPL 2026 Full Squad Lists:

Here are the squads for all five franchises for WPL 2026 after the mega auction

1. Mumbai Indians:

Mumbai Indians enter the new season with a stable core, experienced overseas stars and exciting uncapped talent, giving them both depth and balance across batting, bowling and all round roles.

Batters	Allrounders	Wicketkeepers	Pacers and Spinners
Harmanpreet Kaur	Nat Sciver Brunt	G Kamilini	Shabnim Ismail
Hayley Matthews	Rahila Firdous	Milly Illingworth	Saika Ishaque
Amanjot Kaur	Amelia Kerr
	Sanskriti Gupta
	S Sajana
	Triveni Vasistha
	Nicola Carey
	Poonam Khemnar
	Nalla Reddy

2. Delhi Capitals:

Delhi Capitals have built a versatile and future ready squad with strong all round options and powerful top order batters, supported by reliable domestic talent in spin and pace departments.

Batters	Allrounders	Wicketkeepers	Pacers
Jemimah Rodrigues	Marizanne Kapp	Lizelle Lee	Nandni Sharma
Shafali Verma	Annabel Sutherland	Taniyaa Bhatia
Laura Wolvaardt	Niki Prasad	Mamatha Madiwala
Deeya Yadav	Chinelle Henry
	Sneh Rana
	Minnu Mani
	Lucy Hamilton
	Sree Charani

3. Gujarat Giants:

Gujarat Giants showcase a strong overseas lineup backed by young domestic performers, creating a top heavy squad capable of explosive starts and flexible combinations across key match situations.

Batters	Allrounders	Wicketkeepers	Pacers
Danni Wyatt Hodge	Ash Gardner	Beth Mooney	Renuka Thakur
Bharti Fulmali	Sophie Devine	Yastika Bhatia	Titas Sadhu
	Georgia Wareham	Shivani Singh	Happy Kumari
	Kim Garth
	Kashvee Gautam
	Tanuja Kanwer
	Kanika Ahuja
	Anushka Sharma
	Ayushi Soni

4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru rely on a powerful batting unit supported by impactful overseas all rounders, complemented by improving Indian bowlers who add balance and depth to their match strategy.

Batters	Allrounders	Wicketkeepers	Pacers and Spinners
Smriti Mandhana	Ellyse Perry	Richa Ghosh	Lauren Bell
Georgia Voll	Shreyanka Patil	Prathyoosha Kumar	Linsey Smith
Grace Harris	Nadine de Klerk		Prema Rawat
D Hemalatha	Pooja Vastrakar		Radha Yadav
Gautami Naik	Arundhati Reddy

5. UP Warriorz:

UP Warriorz rebuilt their team aggressively with high quality signings, combining young Indian batters with experienced overseas performers to form a strong and dynamic all round squad for the new season.

Batters	Allrounders	Wicketkeepers	Pacers and Spinners
Shweta Sehrawat	Deepti Sharma	Shipra Giri	Kranti Gaud
Meg Lanning	Deandra Dottin		Tara Norris
Phoebe Litchfield	Chloe Tryon		Sophie Ecclestone
Kiran Navgire	Shikha Pandey		Asha Sobhana
Simran Shaikh	Harleen Deol		G Trisha
Pratika Rawal	Suman Meena

Full Squad Building Strategy Of Each Franchise:

Every franchise arrived at the WPL 2026 auction with a distinct plan shaped by purse strength, retention decisions and role based needs. UP Warriorz entered with the largest purse of forty one crore ten lakh and used their freedom to rebuild almost their entire squad while exercising four Right to Match options. 

• UP Warriorz guided their rebuild with clear intent
• Mumbai Indians trusted long standing experience heavily
• Delhi Capitals focused on retaining their batting engine
• Gujarat Giants targeted powerful and consistent performers
• Royal Challengers improved depth in crucial match phases

Remaining Purse And Status of Teams:

This table highlights how each team balanced purse strength with squad building and how their final spending shaped their readiness for the season.

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Team	Total Slots Filled	Remaining Purse In Lakh	Overseas Players
Delhi Capitals	18	0	6
Gujarat Giants	17	15	5
Mumbai Indians	18	0	5
Royal Challengers Bengaluru	18	0	4
UP Warriorz	17	15	3

Role Of Data And Analytics In WPL 2026 Auction:

Modern franchise decision making has transformed, and the WPL 2026 auction clearly showed how deeply analytics shaped team choices. Analysts tracked every player’s pressure performance, strike rate behaviour, bowling economy in different phases and consistency across formats. 

• These insights helped franchises judge beyond raw talent and understand how each player fits into specific match situations. 
• Data sheets were used actively during bidding battles to determine whether to continue or withdraw, especially when emotions ran high. 
• Teams studied workload patterns, injury histories and fitness trends to avoid risky long term decisions. 

 This blend of data and instinct helped franchises build smarter, more balanced rosters.

Conclusion:

The WPL auction in New Delhi carried emotion, tension and a growing sense of pride for everyone who witnessed it. The league continues to expand in value and global attention, and this year’s bids reflected that confidence. From record breaking purchases to heartfelt stories of young domestic players, the event showcased the spirit of progress that defines the league.

Each franchise walked out with renewed belief and a roster built on strategy and heart. As the season approaches, fans can expect fresh narratives, closer matches and unforgettable performances from both seasoned stars and rising talents.

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