UP Warriorz has all the potential to be the dark horse of the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL 2026). With Abhishek Nayar as their head coach, cricket fans are expecting some exciting brand of cricket from the team.

They already showed their well-planned movements during the auction. UP Warriorz went into the auction room with only one retained player, which was Shweta Sehrawat. From there, they created a solid lineup, which can help the team to earn their maiden WPL trophy. UP Warriorz will begin its WPL 2026 campaign against Gujarat Giants at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 10. On January 12, in the next league match, they will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

UP Warriorz has shown a lot of faith in Deepti Sharma, as they bought her using the RTM card for a record amount of INR 3.20 crore. From the first set of players in the auction, they cashed in Rs 1.90 lakh for legendary Australian batter and former captain Meg Lanning. This move instantly bolstered their batting strength and leadership qualities. Another surprise of the auction was Shikha Pandey. Out of nowhere, this underrated Indian all-rounder experienced a great payday. UP Warriorz roped in for a whopping amount of Rs 2.40 crore.

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UP Warriorz Full Schedule

UP Warriorz WPL 2026 Full Squad after WPL 2026 Auction: 

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

Retained Players: Shweta Sehrawat. 

The Women's team of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB-W) is all set to start their Women's Premier League 2026 (WPL 2026) campaign on January 9 through a match against the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. 

Ahead of the fresh season of WPL, RCB-W has set up their new-look squad strongly on paper with only four retained players.  Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil are the only four players from the previous season who will be seen playing for the franchise in the upcoming season as well. Under the leadership of Smriti Mandhana, the team will try to conquer the league again. This time, the franchise officials have bolstered their squad with multiple batters and all-rounders. 

The entire tournament will unfold across two venues: Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. The first eleven matches of the contest are scheduled to be arranged at the iconic D.Y. Patil Stadium, where the India Women's team recently won their maiden World Cup title. For the next eleven matches, focus will be shifted on Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium. 

Read More: Gujarat Giants Women (GG-W) WPL 2026 full schedule, venues, timings announced

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Full Schedule

RCB-W full squad for WPL 2026:

Players Retained: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil.

New Players: Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Georgia Voll, Linsey Smith, Dayalan Hemalatha, Prema Rawat, Gautami Nayak, and Prathyoosha Kumar.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is going to kick off on January 9, and the first match will feature the current titleholders Mumbai Indians against the previous winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The tournament that lasts for 28 days will end on February 5, with the final taking place on a weekday for the first time at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

This year’s edition is full of firsts including a January–February window instead of the traditional February–March slot, which the league takes to avoid clashes with major international cricket events. The two-venue format is back, with Navi Mumbai having the first 11 matches including two Saturday double-headers, after which the final 11 league games and the playoffs will be at Vadodara.

Mumbai Indians are the most successful team by far in the league's short history, having won two titles in three seasons, and are entering WPL 2026 as the defending champions. RCB are the only other winners, while Delhi Capitals can lay claim to the unique (and unwanted) record of being also-rans in all three seasons. Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz are still whispering their dreams aloud for a maiden finals appearance.

After the final on February 5, India's women cricketers will directly head out for a full-fledged tour of Australia starting on February 15.

WPL 2026 Complete Schedule (Jan 9 – Feb 5)

WPL 2026 Squads

Mumbai Indians Women

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Gunalan Kamalini, Saika Ishaque, Nicola Carey, Triveni Vasistha, Sanskriti Gupta, Nalla Reddy, Milly Illingworth, Poonam Khemnar, Rahila Firdous

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women

Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Grace Harris, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Dayalan Hemalatha, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Gautami Naik, Kumar Prathyoosha

Delhi Capitals Women

Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Nandani Sharma, Deeya Yadav, Lucy Hamilton, Madiwala Mamatha

Gujarat Giants Women

Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Kim Garth, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Anushka Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kanika Ahuja, Titas Sadhu, Ayushi Soni, Happy Kumari, Shivani Singh

UP Warriorz Women

Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Gongadi Trisha, Suman L Meena, Tara Norris

The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction was full of action from start to finish, with some of the biggest names in women’s cricket going under the hammer. While some franchises added several big-ticket players in a major overhaul, others made only small changes to their squads to perform better next season.

The Mumbai Indians (MI) continue to have a strong roster as they aim for a third WPL title next year. Meanwhile, teams like the UP Warriors and Gujarat Giants (GG) strengthened their squads with key additions in the auction. Surprisingly, a few well-known overseas and Indian players did not get any buyers and went unsold.

Here are the five marquee players who shockingly went unsold at the 2026 WPL auction.

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1. Alyssa Healy

Australian captain Alyssa Healy was the biggest name that went unsold at the WPL 2026 auction. The 35-year-old played for the UP Warriors in the first two WPL seasons but missed the 2025 season due to an injury.

The franchise released Healy ahead of the auction after missing the playoffs in the last two editions.

Healy has impressive WPL stats, with an average of nearly 27 and a strike rate of over 130 in 17 matches. She can also keep wickets and lead the team, making her absence from any squad surprising.

Although her form in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) is not great, she performed brilliantly in the 50-over World Cup in India. She scored 299 runs in five matches at an average of almost 75 and a strike rate of 125.10, finishing as the sixth-highest run-scorer.

2. Alana King

Another Australian star, Alana King, went unsold at the WPL 2026 auction despite excellent recent white-ball form. The 20-year-old took 13 wickets in seven matches during the 2025 ODI World Cup, finishing among the top five wicket-takers with an average of 17.38 and an economy of 4.03.

King also contributes with the bat, including a match-winning 51* against Pakistan in the tournament. She played only one game for the UP Warriorz last season.

With her ability to bat and bowl, it is surprising that franchises showed no interest in King at the auction.

3. Sabbhineni Meghana

Indian opener Sabbhineni Meghana was the most surprising unsold Indian player at the WPL 2026 auction. After a poor first season with Gujarat Giants in 2023, the 29-year-old impressed with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the last two editions.

Meghana averaged 33.60 at a strike rate of almost 113 in seven matches during RCB’s title run in 2024. She played only two games in 2025 but scored at an incredible strike rate of 212.

With her best years ahead, Meghana’s exclusion from all squads is surprising.

4. Alice Capsey

All-rounders are highly valued in T20 cricket, and England’s Alice Capsey has been one of the best in the WPL. The 21-year-old batting all-rounder played 18 WPL matches, all for Delhi Capitals (DC).

Although her recent performances have dipped, Capsey has a batting average of 27 with a strike rate of almost 134, and she has taken 11 wickets at an average of 20.45. She helped DC finish at the top of the points table in all three WPL seasons.

Surprisingly, Capsey did not attract any bids in the 2026 auction.

5. Tazmin Brits

South African veteran Tazmin Brits also went unsold at the 2026 WPL auction. The 34-year-old has a strong T20I record, scoring over 1,700 runs in 68 matches at an average of 32.43 and a strike rate of almost 107.

Brits can also keep wickets, making her a valuable player. She has been in excellent T20I form this year, averaging 66 with a strike rate over 122. Her omission at the auction was a major surprise.

Delhi Capitals Women entered into the WPL 2026 auction room with the least amount of purse. Despite a tight budget, they somehow managed to do their job properly because of proper planning.

From the beginning of the event on the evening of November 27, DC-W was very active and went to bid aggressively on multiple occasions. The Delhi-based franchise ended with a 16-member squad. Chinelle Henry and Shree Charani were their top buys, as they bought them for INR 1.30 crore each. They secured the service of South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who scored a century in the Women's World Cup Final against India, for INR 1.10 crore. Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Taniyaa Bhatia, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandni Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, and Minnu Mani were the other picks by Delhi Capitals.

The inclusion of Henry is considered as their x-factor, as the West Indian batter can bring in serious firepower during crucial points of matches. If we take a look at their entire squad, then Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, and Marizanne Kapp are their most expensive players. Each of them was retained by the franchise for INR 2.2 crore.

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Under coach Jonathan Batty, DC-W will play the WPL 2026 season but has yet to announce their captain's name. Their batting side is looking very strong after the auction. 

Delhi Capitals squad after WPL 2026 Auction: 

Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt (INR 1.10 crore), Chinelle Henry (INR 1.30 crore), Shree Charani (INR 1.30 crore), Sneh Rana (INR 0.50 crore), Lizelle Lee (INR 0.30 crore), Deeya Yadav (INR 0.10 crore), Taniyaa Bhatia (INR 0.30 crore), Mamatha Madiwala (INR 0.10 crore), Nandni Sharma (INR 0.20 crore), Lucy Hamilton (INR 0.10 crore), Minnu Mani (INR 0.40 crore)

Retained Players List: Jemimah Rodrigues (INR 2.2 crore), Shafali Verma (INR 2.2 crore), Annabel Sutherland (INR 2.2 crore), Marizanne Kapp (INR 2.2 crore), and Niki Prasad (uncapped) (INR 50 lakh). 

Women’s Premier League (WPL) is growing in great popularity, as the tournament has made a great impact on Indian women’s cricket as well as in international women’s cricket. While there are rumours about more new teams in the future WPL, Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal spoke about the truth of it.

It was the time for the auction for WPL 2026 in Delhi on Thursday (November 27), as the five franchises were battling to set the best possible team to challenge for the WPL 2026 title. On the sidelines of the latest mega auction, Delhi Capitals owner Parth Jindal spoke about the tournament's future.

I hope we get a bigger and longer window: Parth Jindal

Parth wants to see the future WPL tournament in a home-and-away contest. He said, "I think we would love to see the WPL home and away as well, and I think this caravan format is okay, but it is not ideal. I hope that and I am sure that the BCCI is working on it. I think the amount of time that they get is very short and that is why they have to fit the WPL within this window, but I hope we get a bigger and longer window for the WPL going forward.” 

WPL 2026 Auction: Full updated squad list for all teams revealed

I think it is imminent that one or two new teams will come: Parth Jindal about WPL future teams' extensions

The DC owner is confident about the addition of one or two more teams in the future WPL tournaments. He feels that the addition of new teams will help to start the home-away format in the WPL. 

Parth added, “I think it is imminent that one or two new teams will come in at some point, and that is why I think the cycle is such a short cycle with the two WPLs happening over 14 months. So I am pretty sure that the BCCI is planning on adding a team, and maybe with that addition we move to a home and away format. That would be ideal for the fans, for the game, and for the growth of the WPL.”

WPL 2026 will run between January 9 and February 5, 2026, with five teams. DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara will host the entire WPL 2026. Two-time winners Mumbai Indians will participate in the WPL 2026 as the defending champions. 

Women’s Premier League teams have been told that top-order batter Pratika Rawal, wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, and pacer VJ Joshitha are injured, but their names are still in the auction pool.

During the pre-auction briefing on Wednesday, the league informed all franchises that these players cannot be counted in the compulsory 15-member squad. If any team picks them, they will not be allowed to ask for replacements later.

The WPL also said that India pacer Pooja Vastrakar is still recovering but will be available in the auction. In contrast, Kashvee Gautam has been declared fully fit.

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Jess Jonassen Pulls Out of WPL Auction

Australian spinner Jess Jonassen has pulled out of the upcoming WPL auction after suffering an injury. The 33-year-old has been one of the top performers in the league, winning five Player-of-the-Match awards, second only to Harmanpreet Kaur. Jonassen has been dealing with a shoulder problem and has decided to skip the auction to focus on her recovery.

🚨 Pratika Rawal, Yastika Bhatia and VJ Joshitha will not count towards the mandatory 15-member squad for WPL 2026.

If picked, teams cannot name replacements for them.#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/hIGf9NNBYh

— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) November 27, 2025

Big Names in the Marquee Set

The marquee set for the WPL 2026 auction includes some of the biggest stars in women’s cricket — Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr, Laura Wolvaardt, Deepti Sharma, and Renuka Singh.

A total of 276 players — 194 Indian and 82 overseas — will go under the hammer. The five teams can fill 73 slots, including 50 Indians and 23 overseas players. The squad size must be between 15 and 18 players.

Associate Players in the List

Four associate players are also part of the auction list: Theertha Satish and Esha Oza from the UAE, Tara Norris from the USA, and Thipatcha Putthawong from Thailand.

With a small purse and plenty of tasks to do. Eyes are on the Delhi Capitals auction table to see how they manage to fill up their squad for the upcoming season of the Women's Premier League (WPL 2026).

They showed some aggressive bidding during the initial stage of the tournament. But in most of the cases, they had to step back mostly because of the high price. Delhi Capitals Women's (DC-W) secured the service of South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt before they cashed in for Chinelle Henry. Cricket fans know what Wolvaardt can do. But who is Chinelle Henry? 

For Chinelle Henry, Delhi Capitals invested INR 1.30 crore in the Women's Premier League auction. The right-handed batter from the West Indies is an absolute powerhouse. She is known for hard-hitting abilities. In the past, the Women's Premier League witnessed the batter's monstrous batting skills. Her best WPL knock came against DC-W. 

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Chinelle Henry will play for Delhi Capitals in WPL 2026 season

According to stats from the official website of the Women's Premier League, Chinelle Henry has played a total of 7 WPL matches and scored 163 runs, powered by a half century. With the 62-run innings against Delhi Capitals, her WPL batting average is 27.17. But the interesting thing is her strike. The 196.39 strike rate is clear evidence that this batter takes a match away from the opposition team in her day. Clearly, DC-W invested in an X-factor ahead of the WPL 2026 season. 

On November 12, 2025, the 30-year-old showed her batting strength for Brisbane Heat Women in a Women's Big Bash League match against Perth Scorchers Women. In this match, she came to bat in the second innings as a middle-order batter and scored 39 off 23, powered by three boundaries and three over-boundaries. Still, despite all the exciting parts, she mostly struggles to maintain her batting consistency. 

DC Women Full WPL 2025 Squad before the auction:

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

Retained players: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, and Niki Prasad.

Released players: Meg Lanning, Sneha Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Minnu Mani, N Charani, Shikha Pandey, Nandini Kashyap, Sarah Bryce, Taniyaa Bhatia, and Radha Yadav.

The 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega-auction in New Delhi began with a moment few could have predicted, as Australia captain Alyssa Healy, the first name in the marquee set, went unsold. Entering the auction at a base price of INR 50 lakh, Healy was widely expected to draw aggressive bidding, especially after being released by the UP Warriorz, whom she captained before missing the 2025 season due to a foot injury. Instead, her name passed without a single bid, stunning franchises and fans alike.

While Healy is almost certain to find a team in the accelerated round, going unsold in the opening minutes was a shock, particularly for a player of her stature. The 35-year-old is one of the most decorated cricketers in the women’s game, a six-time World Cup champion with world-class wicketkeeping skills and proven hitting ability. She has scored 1,030 runs in WT20Is at a strike rate of 122.5, along with 428 runs in 17 WPL matches at an average of 26.75.

ALSO SEE: Australian star all-rounder has withdrawn from the WPL mega auction

After Alyssa Healy goes unsold, Sophie Devine ignites fierce bidding at WPL 2026 auction

Moments after the Healy surprise, New Zealand star Sophie Devine became the first player sold at the 2026 auction. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder triggered a bidding war between Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals, thanks to her explosive batting and over 3,000 WT20I runs. Gujarat Giants eventually secured her services for a hefty INR 2 crore, making her one of the biggest buys of the early session.

The WPL 2026 mega-auction is one of the most anticipated events in the league’s young history, featuring 277 players, including 194 Indians and 83 overseas cricketers, competing for 73 available slots. With teams eyeing balance and depth for the new season, the auction’s opening minutes have already delivered drama, unpredictability, and high-stakes battles, setting the stage for an exciting day of team-building in the national capital.

The fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is all set to conduct the highly anticipated auction on November 27 in New Delhi. The Indian Women's Cricket team's maiden World Cup 2025 victory has made the event more interesting. Over the years, along with women's cricket, WPL also saw significant interest across the world. It is expected to see a record number of viewers on screen during the auction. Where and how will cricket fans be able to witness the WPL 2026 auction for free? 

Like the previous three seasons, this time too, 5 teams will be in the title race. The women's cricket teams of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB Women) and Mumbai Indians (MI Women) already tasted the victory of the league, while Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals Women (DC Women) finished as runners-up in all three seasons.

MI-W will start WPL 2026 as the defending champion under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur. It was their second title in those three years. The Mumbai-based franchise was the best team of the inaugural edition of the tournament as well. RCB-W lifted the trophy in 2024 under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana. 

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WPL 2026 live streaming details and players to watch out for

Teams in WPL 2026: RCB Women, Mumbai Indians Women, Delhi Capitals Women, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants.

When to watch the WPL 2026 auction (WPL 2026 auction time and date): The auction is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM IST on November 27. 

WPL 2026 Auction live streaming online details: Cricket fans can watch the WPL 2026 auction live through mobile phones using the JioHotstar app and its official website.  

WPL 2026 auction on TV: Along with online platforms, viewers can see the event through television as well. They have to tune in to the Star Sports Network channels to watch the event.