Ahead of the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that a mega auction will be held in the final week of November, reshaping the squads for the next cycle. All five franchises submitted their lists of retained and released players on November 5, with the official announcement scheduled to air tonight on Star Sports after the India vs Australia 4th T20I.

The WPL’s new retention policy allows franchises to retain a maximum of five players, up to three Indian players and two overseas internationals.

Retention Price Slabs

Teams that retain fewer than five players will receive Right to Match (RTM) cards during the auction. For instance, a team retaining only two players will be granted three RTM cards.

WPL 2026 Mega Auction Details

• Date: November 27, 2025
• Venue: New Delhi
• Total Purse: ₹15 crore per team

Franchise-Wise Retentions and Purse Remaining

Mumbai Indians (MI)

When everyone expected Harmanpreet Kaur to be the top retention after a successful year leading India to the ODI World Cup title, the Mumbai Indians surprised everyone by naming Nat Sciver-Brunt as their top pick for ₹3.5 crore.

Retained Players:

Purse Remaining: ₹5.75 crore

ALSO SEE: Australian batting collapse set their unwanted home T20I record during AUS vs IND 4th T20I

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

The defending champions retained their strong core led by Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry. Newly appointed head coach Malolan Rangarajan expressed his excitement about shaping the next chapter for RCB Women.

Retained Players:

Purse Remaining: ₹6.15 crore

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Delhi went for a balanced mix of Indian and overseas talent. Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma continue to headline their batting unit, while the addition of young all-rounder Niki Prasad gives them a long-term prospect.

Retained Players:

Purse Remaining: ₹5.7 crore

Gujarat Giants (GG)

The Giants have chosen to go with just two overseas retentions, both superstars of the women’s game, leaving themselves plenty of flexibility with a large auction purse.

Retained Players:

Purse Remaining: ₹9 crore

UP Warriorz (UPW)

UP Warriorz have gone with a clean slate, retaining only one player, Shweta Sehrawat, which gives them the largest purse heading into the auction.

Retained Players:

Purse Remaining: ₹14.5 crore

Big Names Released Ahead of the Mega Auction

Several marquee players are reportedly heading into the auction pool this year, making it one of the most anticipated drafts yet.

Top 5 Potential Releases:

• Meg Lanning
• Sophie Ecclestone
• Deepti Sharma
• Alyssa Healy
• Laura Wolvaardt

The WPL 2026 mega auction promises to be a blockbuster event. With franchises reshaping their cores and big international names set to go under the hammer, expect plenty of surprises and record-breaking bids on November 27.

The next few weeks will define how the WPL’s fourth edition shapes up, and which team builds the next championship-winning combination.