A week ago, IT professionals Pinky and Rakesh Yadav went through a tense evening as they waited for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction. At home, Pinky was nervous, while Rakesh was on his way back from the office, just 18 kilometres away. Their 16-year-old daughter, Deeya, was in Kerala with Haryana’s U23 squad for T20 matches, waiting for her name to be called in the auction.

The tension rose when auctioneer Mallika Sagar announced Deeya’s name. The room went silent for 10–15 seconds before Delhi Capitals, who had been tracking the young talent, raised their paddle and bought her at the base price of Rs 10 lakh.

Rakesh recalled the moment and said, “When DC finally raised the paddle, I felt huge relief. It was our first auction experience, so it was both amazing and stressful.” Pinky felt mostly fear. She had seen several players go unsold before Deeya’s turn came. “I was scared about what would happen when her name came up. But when DC bid, I was shocked and relieved. We still can’t believe it happened so fast,” she told IANS.

Also Read - Tom Latham & Rachin Ravindra Hit Centuries as New Zealand Seize Full Control on Day 3 of 1st Test vs West Indies

Life After the WPL Auction

Since Deeya became the youngest player to be signed in a WPL auction, life has changed for the Yadav family. “We are a normal middle-class family. The attention Deeya is getting, and the many phone calls, feel overwhelming," her father Rakesh said.

At Delhi Capitals, Deeya will now play alongside her idol, India opener Shafali Verma. They had built a good connection in the Haryana setup, and will now continue together in DC. Shafali has been Deeya’s favourite player for years, along with MS Dhoni.

Although Deeya is left-handed in daily life, she bats right-handed. Watching Shafali’s fearless style shaped her own game. Her standout knock of 213* off 125 balls against Tripura in the 2023 Under-15 Women’s One-Day Cup brought her into DC’s radar.

Deeya also finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy with 298 runs at an average of 59.5. She continued her good form in the inter-zonal T20 competition, finishing with 151 runs at a strike rate of 149.5.

Read More -Watch: Joe Root celebrates maiden 100 in Australia during Ashes 2025/26

Training, Challenges, and Family Support

DC’s CricViz analysts praised Deeya’s fearless intent, range of shots, and calm approach. They felt she would be an ideal backup for DC’s Indian batters and that playing with Shafali would help her grow further.

Rakesh, a former Delhi Under-19 cricketer, shared how Deeya first showed interest in cricket when the family lived in Pune in 2015–16. Even after moving to Gurugram during the pandemic, Deeya’s passion did not fade. Rakesh often threw balls to her in a nearby ground to keep her practice going.

The sport’s financial demands were challenging, but the family managed. Deeya’s mother, Pinky, balanced her job, home responsibilities, and their younger daughter’s schooling, while still supporting Deeya’s training. Deeya now trains at Shri Ram Narain Cricket Club with support from the Haryana Cricket Association.

Coach Sanjay Negi worked on strengthening her basics in 2023 and praised her strong mindset. Even during tough phases, she stayed focused and kept improving.

Deeya also faced fitness issues and a ligament injury. Sports nutritionist Rashmi Cherian helped improve her diet and recovery. Her fitness levels rose, and her performance improved. Her diet is now managed carefully depending on her training schedule.

Rakesh said the family stayed committed even during uncertain times, while Rashmi praised their dedication during Deeya’s injury phase.

As Deeya prepares for the 2026 WPL season and aims for the 2027 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, her parents only hope she enjoys the game. Rakesh said, “I want her to enjoy her journey. If she keeps learning and enjoying, she will do well—and we hope she will play for India one day.”

By the end of November 28, a statement went viral around the social media platforms, which claimed that Anushka Sharma goes to GG. Actually, it happened during the recently concluded mega auction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, which took place in Delhi with all five franchises- Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants- building their strong squad. 

During the auction, one cricketer’s name evoked curiosity on social media, and it wasn’t hard to understand why. Unlike the famous Bollywood namesake, Anushka Sharma is an upcoming cricketer from Madhya Pradesh, who is known for her hard-hitting abilities. Apart from being a dependable batter, she also bowls off-spin.

See Also: Watch: Babar Azam dismissed LBW for second-ball duck during PAK vs SL Tri-series T20I

Anushka started from a base price of INR 10 lakh, as the Gujarat Giants eventually picked up the player for a price of INR 45 lakh, overcoming the competition from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who took the bid till INR 40 lakh. The 22-year-old is one of the rare batters on display in India’s domestic circuit.

Virat Kohli fans react to Anushka Sharma going to GG on social media

Anushka has been a strong performer with a List A average of 63. In the domestic T20s, her game has improved. During the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20 trophy, she represented the Central Zone and had a fine season for the Madhya Pradesh side.

I know its wordplay, but it doesn’t feel right.
Its disrespectful to both Anushka Sharma and Virat.
Targeting someone’s family as a soft target is wrong. Anushka has already faced enough

if Virat performs, it’s because he is the king, and if he doesnt, people blame Anushka,…

— Aryan Singh (@Call_mearyan) November 27, 2025

This is kinda problamatic, doing it in jest isn’t justified.

While writing the tweet you are aware what you were doing.

Other players have gotten tweets like this
“ player Name will play for Gujarat”

Or something similar, only for Anushka Sharma they’ve used this language.

— Hrishikesh Nikam (@hrishikesshhhh) November 27, 2025

On behalf of all GG fans, we don't support this nonsense.
I understand there's some rivalry between GG & Kohli we would never stoop down to this level. Let's keep the rivalry respectful.

— Moin (@MoInsiders) November 27, 2025

Anushka Sharma - virat kohli
GG- gautam gambhir
45-Rohit😀😀😀

— chirag katakiya (@chiragkatakiya1) November 27, 2025

Pure click bait!
Anushka Sharma (wife of Virat Kohli) goes to GG (Gautam Gambhir) for INR 45 lakh

How low you guys have dropped for some impressions

— baitman (@spartacus_42069) November 27, 2025

Espncricinfo admin have some shame whoever you are this is beyond even thinking , if you expect respect for girls in your family then start by yourself . This could have been presented better

— Rayiie (@rayviratcric) November 28, 2025

For all who don't know..

Anushka Sharma is the uncapped Indian all-rounder picked by Gujarat Giants(GG) for ₹45 lakh in the WPL 2026 auction.
Though the name is having a fun coincidence with actress @AnushkaSharma wife of @imVkohli

— Sourabh (@BeingLegitMan) November 27, 2025

admin woke up and chose violence

— Ganeshan (@ganeshan_iyer) November 27, 2025

The WPL 2026 mega auction was an exciting and surprising event, with all five teams bidding hard to acquire the best players available. There were many nail-biting bidding battles, surprises and record-breaking bids at the auction. As a result of combining veteran stars and young talent, the auction is considered one of the best auctions in the league's history.

One of the biggest highlights of the day was India’s World Cup star Deepti Sharma becoming the most expensive buy of the entire auction. Her bidding started at just ₹50 lakh but quickly went up as Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz fought hard to sign her. Just when it seemed like Delhi Capitals would win the bid, UP Warriorz used their Right-to-Match card and brought Deepti back for a massive ₹3.2 crore. Her price and popularity showed how important she is in both batting and bowling roles.

The auction also gave fans some unexpected moments. One of the biggest surprises came when six-time World Cup champion Alyssa Healy went unsold in the marquee round. Since she had missed the previous season due to injury, teams were cautious with their bids. With 276 players available and only 73 slots to fill, franchises had to choose carefully. By the end of the auction, five players stood out as the most expensive signings of WPL 2026.

1. Deepti Sharma – ₹3.2 Crore (UP Warriorz)

Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Tournament from India’s World Cup-winning team, was expected to attract heavy bidding. Surprisingly, she received only one early bid when Delhi Capitals started at ₹50 lakh. UP Warriorz quickly used their Right-to-Match card, and even when Delhi pushed the amount straight to ₹3.2 crore, UP matched it easily. This made Deepti the second most expensive player in WPL history.

See Also: DC squad after WPL 2026 auction: Here’s complete updated list

2. Amelia Kerr – ₹3 Crore (Mumbai Indians)

Mumbai Indians could not retain Amelia Kerr due to retention limits, but they were very keen to bring her back. They spent almost their full purse to sign her again for ₹3 crore. UP Warriorz also wanted her because she was the highest wicket-taker last season, but Mumbai’s strong bidding ensured she returned to their team.

3. Shikha Pandey – ₹2.4 Crore (UP Warriorz)

Shikha Pandey, one of India’s best-performing bowlers in recent tournaments, drew a strong bidding fight between RCB and UP Warriorz. Both teams pushed her price up from ₹40 lakh to a massive ₹2.4 crore. UP Warriorz eventually won the battle, and her medium-pace bowling will be very useful for them this season.

4. Sophie Devine – ₹2 Crore (Gujarat Giants)

Experienced New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine will now join Gujarat Giants after moving from RCB. The Giants won a tough three-way fight against RCB and Delhi Capitals to secure her for ₹2 crore. Devine adds power to their top order and also gives them a reliable part-time medium-pace option with the ball.

See Also: WPL 2026: Top 3 Players Royal Challengers Bengaluru Must Target in the WPL Mega Auction

5. Meg Lanning – ₹1.9 Crore (UP Warriorz)

Former Australia captain Meg Lanning was bought by UP Warriorz for ₹1.9 crore. She had led Delhi Capitals to three back-to-back runner-up finishes in previous WPL seasons. With seven World Cup titles to her name, her experience will be extremely valuable, and she might also become the new captain for UP Warriorz.

Each of the five squads has been finalised after the mega auction for the WPL 2026, which Delhi hosted on Thursday (November 27). It was the great bidding wars between five franchises to set up their respective squads for the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League. 

At the end of the mega auction for the WPL 20226, the complete squad for each team are as follows. 

WPL Update: Injured Pratika Rawal & Yastika Bhatia Cleared for Auction, But Franchises Can’t Add or Replace Them

WPL 2026: Mumbai Indians (MI) Complete Squad

Retained

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini

Auction buys

Amelia Kerr (INR 3.00 crore), Shabnim Ismail (INR 60 lakhs), Sanskriti Gupta (INR 20 lakhs), Sajana Sajeevan (INR 75 lakhs), Rahila Firdous (INR 10 lakhs), Nicola Carey (INR 30 lakhs), Poonam Khemnar (INR 10 lakhs), Triveni Vasistha (INR 20 lakhs), Nalla Reddy (INR 10 lakhs), Saika Ishaque (INR 30 lakhs), Milly Illingworth (INR 10 lakhs)

WPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Complete Squad

Retained

Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil 

Auction buys

Georgia Voll (INR 60 lakhs), Nadine de Klerk (INR 65 lakhs), Radha Yadav (INR 65 lakhs), Lauren Bell (INR 90 lakhs), Linsey Smith (INR 30 lakhs), Arundhati Reddy (INR 75 lakhs), Pooja Vastrakar (INR 85 lakhs), Grace Harris (INR 75 lakhs), Gautami Naik (INR 10 lakhs), Prathyoosha Kumari (INR 10 lakhs), D. Hemalatha (INR 30 lakhs)

RTM: Prema Rawat (INR 20 lakhs)

WPL 2026: Delhi Capitals (DC) Complete Squad

Retained

Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad

Auction buys

Laura Wolvaardt (INR 1.10 crore), Chinelle Henry (INR 1.30 crore), Shree Charani (INR 1.30 crore), Sneh Rana (INR 50 lakhs), Lizelle Lee (INR 30 lakhs), Deeya Yadav (INR 10 lakhs), Taniya Bhatia (INR 30 lakhs), Mamatha Madiwala (INR 10 lakhs), Nandini Sharma (INR 20 lakhs), Lucy Hamilton (INR 10 lakhs), Minnu Mani (INR 40 lakhs)

WPL 2026: UP Warriors (UPW) Complete Squad

Retained

Shweta Sehrawat 

Auction buys

Meg Lanning (INR 1.90 crore), Phoebe Litchfield (INR 1.20 crore), Harleen Deol (INR 50 lakhs), Asha Sobhana (INR 1.10 crore), Deandra Dottin (INR 80 lakh), Shikha Pandey (INR 2.40 crore), Shipra Giri (INR 10 lakhs), Simran Shaikh (INR 10 lakhs), Tara Norris (INR 10 lakhs), Chloe Tryon (INR 30 lakhs), Suman Meena (INR 10 lakhs), G. Trisha (INR 10 lakhs), Pratika Rawal (INR 50 lakhs)

RTM: Deepti Sharma (INR 3.2 lakhs), Sophie Ecclestone (INR 85 lakhs), Kiran Navgire (INR 60 lakhs), Kranti Goud (INR 50 lakhs)

WPL 2026: Gujarat Giants (GG) Complete Squad

Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney

Auction buys

Sophie Devine (INR 2.00 crore), Renuka Singh Thakur (INR 60 lakhs), Titas Sadhu (INR 30 lakhs), Kanika Ahuja (INR 30 lakhs), Tanuja Kanwer (INR 45 lakhs), Georgia Wareham (INR 1.00 crore), Anushka Sharma (INR 45 lakhs), Happy Kumari (INR 10 lakhs), Kim Garth (INR 50 lakhs), Yastika Bhatia (INR 50 lakhs), Shivani Singh (INR 10 lakhs), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (INR 50 lakhs), Rajeshwari Gaykwad (INR 40 lakhs), Ayushi Soni (INR 30 lakhs)

RTM: Bharti Fulmali (INR 70 lakhs), Kashvee Gautam (INR 65 lakhs)

The second accelerated round saw the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opening their account with the signing of the famous Australia lower-order batter, Grace Harris, who will bring more balance to the squad, especially in the lower order and can finish games brutally along with Richa Ghosh and Nadine de Clerk during the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). 

Grace Harris has overall smashed 577 runs for Australia in just 35 innings of the Women’s T20Is at an average of 22.19 and a strike rate of 155.52 with the help of one half-century at the best score of unbeaten 64 runs. She has been massively successful in the Women’s Premier League, where she was part of the UP Warriorz from the start.

See Also: Who is Sanskriti Gupta? Know Indian spinner whom Mumbai Indians resign in WPL 2026 auction

In the WPL, Harris has clubbed 581 runs in 21 innings at an average of 32.27 and a strike rate of 140.33 with the help of three half-centuries at the best score of 72. In the 2024/25 season of the event, the lower order batter nailed 163 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 118.97 at the best score of 45.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru include Grace Harris for INR 75 lakh in WPL 2026 auction

Bengaluru had a fight with the UP Warriorz for the batter as the base price was INR 30 lakh before it spiked to INR 75 lakh. Bengaluru was massively happy for the inclusion of the lower-order batter. In the ongoing season of the WBBL, she has smashed 90 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 126, after returning from injury.

Bengaluru came into the auction with their four star retained players- captain Smriti Mandhana, their star wicket-keeper Richa Ghosh, spinner Shreyanka Patil, and all-rounder Ellyse Perry. They also bought the top order batter of Australia, Georgia Voll, in the auction.

Updated squad for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of WPL 2026

Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll (Rs. 0.60 crore), Nadine de Klerk (Rs. 0.65 crore), Radha Yadav (Rs. 0.65 crore), Lauren Bell (Rs. 0.90 crore), Linsey Smith (Rs. 0.30 crore), Prema Rawat (Rs. 0.20 crore-RTM), Grace Harris

Lauren Bell is yet to feature in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), but her dream will end for the 2026 season of the tournament as she will turn up for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The England pacer has a decent experience of the shortest format, having collected 50 wickets in 36 innings of the Women’s T20Is at an average of nearly 19 and a strike rate of 15.4 with an economy rate of around seven. 

Lauren Bell will join the Australia all-rounder, Elysse Perry, in the squad, which will be a massive balancing prospect for the franchise in the bowling department. Bell has been a successful campaigner in the Women’s The Hundred event where she has collected 60 wickets in 41 innings at an average of around 15 and an economy rate of under seven.

See Also: Who is Sanskriti Gupta? Know Indian spinner whom Mumbai Indians resign in WPL 2026 auction

Bell can swing the ball in both ways and use the powerplay to pick wickets, which will be important for the Bengaluru, besides pushing their spinners to attack in the second half of the innings.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru add Lauren Bell in WPL 2026 mega auction for INR 90 lakh

Coming into the auction, Bengaluru already had packed their core group in the presence of their captain and star opening batter of the Indian team, Smriti Mandhana along with the young wicket-keeper lower-order batter, Richa Ghosh, in the squad. They also had Shreyanka Patil as the Indian spinner in the squad.

Bengaluru started the auction with the inclusion of the Australia top order batter, Gorgia Voll, besides having Nadine de Clerk from South Africa as the all-rounder will be important along with Ghosh to contribute fiercely with the bat.

The fourth edition of the tournament will be held from January 09 to February 05, 2026, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara being confirmed as the two host venues.

Updated squad for Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of WPL 2026

Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll (Rs. 0.60 crore), Nadine de Klerk (Rs. 0.65 crore), Radha Yadav (Rs. 0.65 crore), Lauren Bell (Rs. 0.90 crore), Linsey Smith (Rs. 0.30 crore), Prema Rawat (Rs. 0.20 crore-RTM),

Ahead of the mega auction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) decided to retain their four star members from the last season. It included the most costly player, captain Smriti Mandhana, for a price of INR 3.60 crore, while they kept their Indian wicket-keeper batter, Richa Ghosh, for INR 2.75 crore.

Bengaluru had doubts in retaining the star and veteran Australian all-rounder, Elysse Perry, for a price of INR 2 crore, while they kept the spinner, Shreyanka Patil, for a price of INR 60 lakh. At the start of the auction, Bengaluru looked a bit unbalanced, going after several players but not being able to sign one of them.

See Also: "Can't play same way..."- Ravichandran Ashwin questions Rishabh Pant's shot selection during IND vs SA 2nd Test in Guwahati

Their first buy of the auction was the Australian top-order batter, Georgia Voll, who can be a great inclusion in the side in the absence of Sophie Devine. She came into the side for a reasonable price of INR 60 lakh before they shifted their focus to the all-rounder, Nadine De Clerk.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s updated squad post WPL 2026 mega auction

De Clerk came into the Bengaluru franchise for a price of INR 65 lakh amid their bidding war. The South African batter will be a massive contributor for the Bengaluru franchise in the next season of the WPL, especially in the lower-order batting, where she will join the likes of Richa Ghosh in the team.

Bengaluru also added Lauren Bell to the squad for a price of INR 90 lakh. Bell has picked up 50 wickets in 36 innings of the Women’s T20Is at an average of 18.34, a strike rate of 15.4, and an economy rate of just over seven.

The next season of the League will start on January 09 and run till the first week of February. All the games will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and the ground in Vadodara.

Complete squad of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of WPL 2026

Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll (Rs. 0.60 crore), Nadine de Klerk (Rs. 0.65 crore), Radha Yadav (Rs. 0.65 crore), Lauren Bell (Rs. 0.90 crore), Linsey Smith (Rs. 0.30 crore), Prema Rawat (Rs. 0.20 crore-RTM), Arundhati Reddy (Rs. 0.75 crore), Pooja Vastrakar (Rs. 0.85 crore), Grace Harris (Rs. 0.75 crore), Gautami Naik (Rs. 0.10 crore), Prathyoosha Kumari (Rs. 0.10 crore), D. Hemalatha (Rs. 0.30 crore).

The defending champions of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) ahead of the 2026 season, the Mumbai Indians, came into the mega auction with lots of expectation, as they had already retained their core group. Mumbai’s first and most costly retained player was the England captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, as Harmanpreet Kaur was happy to take the second spot.

Mumbai Indians also kept their star all-rounder from the West Indies, Hayley Matthews, who can offer them four overs with the ball at any point in the innings and open the batting, along with a massive contribution in the field. They also had Amanjot Kaur in the retained list.

See Also: Royal Challengers Bengaluru sign Radha Yadav during WPL 2026 mega auction

The first player bought off the auction for the Indians was the New Zealand spinner, Amelia Kerr, for a massive INR 3 crore. The 25-year-old comes with an incredible experience of 95 wickets in the Women’s T20Is at an average of 20.37 and an economy rate of just over six, besides smashing 1453 runs at a strike rate of around 110.

Mumbai Indians’ complete list of players ahead of WPL 2026

Shabnim Ismail was another star inclusion for the Mumbai Indians, as they were lucky enough to get the South African pacer for a price of INR 60 lakh, which is half of what she got in the last couple of editions of the tournament. Ismail can be an important member of the side in the opening overs with the new ball.

Mumbai Indians picked up only four players in the auction till the accelerated mode was activated. They also decided to resign the uncapped Indian spinner, Sanskriti Gupta, for a price of INR 20 lakh. Gupta was part of the Mumbai setup in the 2024/25 season of the event.

The competition will begin on January 08 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai and run for another month to end in the first week of February at the Vadodara ground.

Complete squad of Mumbai Indians ahead of WPL 2026 season

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, Amelia Kerr (Rs. 3.00 crore), Shabnim Ismail (Rs. 0.60 crore), Sanskriti Gupta (Rs. 0.20 crore), Sajana Sajeevan (Rs. 0.75 crore), Rahila Firdous (Rs. 0.10 crore), Nicola Carey (Rs. 0.30 crore), Poonam Khemnar (Rs. 0.10 crore), Triveni Vasistha (Rs. 0.20 crore), Nalla Reddy (Rs. 0.10 crore), Saika Ishaque (Rs. 0.30 crore), and Milly Illingworth (Rs. 0.10 crore). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are MI’s retained players for WPL 2026?

MI kept their core of Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, and G. Kamalini for the new season.

Who was MI’s biggest buy?

They signed Amelia Kerr for ₹3 crore, making her one of the costliest picks of the auction.

Which new players joined MI?

MI added Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajana Sajeevan, Nicola Carey, and Saika Ishaque to boost depth.

What’s the team balance like?

The squad mixes experienced stars with young Indian talent, keeping a strong blend of skill and energy.

When does MI play next, and how big is the squad?

The WPL 2026 starts on January 8, and MI’s squad has 16 players in total.

Whenever a successful franchise like Mumbai Indians pick any unknown player, the interest increases. It happened with the Indian spinner, Sanskriti Gupta, who was part of the franchise last year where she picked up four wickets in six innings at an average of 14 and an economy rate of 6.58 at the strike rate of 12.7, thanks to 2/11 in one innings as her best. 

Sanskriti Gupta was seen to give the players motivation in the team-huddle during their clash against the Delhi Capitals earlier this year. The 20-year-old also have a rousing speed and was seen to play her favorite foot. She was involved in the game that she nearly crashed into the broadcasters’ camera.

See Also: Royal Challengers Bengaluru sign Radha Yadav during WPL 2026 mega auction

“I just told them ‘All the teams have one match winner, but we have 11 match winners. Play like a champion, like a warrior. I used to play with the boys in the afternoon with a plastic ball that made a lot of noise. That would disturb the sleeping neighborhood. I used to get scolded for that.” Gupta told the Sportstar in an old interview.

Mumbai Indians resign Sanskriti Gupta for INR 20 lakh in WPL 2026 auction

Gupta came in the uncapped category for the auction, and the Mumbai Indians hardly spoiled any time in lifting the paddle and sign the player for them ahead of the new season of the tournament.

“I asked my seniors whether I could join them and I found out that they were playing football. I didn’t know what kind of academy it was. It was monsoon season and you usually play football in the rain and not cricket. When the rain went away, the cricket coaching started. My journey started from there.” Gupta informed in the same interview.

“I would wonder whether I’d get chances, but I am getting opportunities. They believe in me. My aim was to start slowly and increase confidence with every match. It’s been a good experience. I feel every cricketer starts off as a medium pacer. I played U-16 for my state as a pacer and I never used to get bowling.” She concluded.

Shabnim Ismail comes with a massive experience playing around the world in various formats of the game. She has already picked up 123 wickets in 112 innings of the Women’s T20Is at an average of 18.62 and a strike rate of 19.3 with an economy rate of under six, which is extra-ordinary in this modern age of the format. 

It's hard to get past the incredible pace of the bowler, as Mumbai Indians was lucky to keep the bowler with them ahead of the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). They started the bidding at a base price of INR 40 lakh before the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) joined them in the party but couldn’t breach the desired price.

See Also: Royal Challengers Bengaluru beats Delhi Capitals in bidding war to buy Nadine de Klerk during WPL 2026 auction

Mumbai was keen to get the player and finally signed her for an increased price of INR 60 lakh. It has been a pay cut for the star member of the Proteas who actually got INR 1.20 crore from the same franchise in the last couple of seasons of the league.

Mumbai Indians sign Shabnim Ismail for a price of INR 60 lakh in WPL 2026 auction

In the history of the Women’s Premier League, Ismail has overall picked up 20 wickets in 20 innings at an average of under 27 and a strike rate of 23.5 with the economy staying under the seven-mark. In the 2024/25 season of the tournament, Ismail collected nine wickets in 10 innings at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 26.6 with an economy rate of 6.77.

Ismail is currently in Australia, featuring for the Sydney Thunder side in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025 where he has collected seven wickets in the last five clashes of the event, including the best of 3/27 against the Sydney Sixers.

Mumbai Indians have picked the players who will be nearly confirmed to be part of their eleven as of now. That shows their strong planning in the title defense of the WPL 2026.

Mumbai Indians’ updated squad for WPL 2026

G Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, and Amanjot Kaur.