Deepti Sharma Sold for Rs 3.2 Cr as UP Warriorz Dominate WPL Auction
UP Warriorz dominate WPL 2026 auction. Key players Deepti Sharma, Meg Lanning secured, Alyssa Healy remains unsold. Check full player list and bids.
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On Thursday, the mega auction for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 concluded in Delhi with all five franchises completing their squads for the next season. The event of the auction was initiated by the top players, thus highlighting the transfers of the stars and the surprises.
Alyssa Healy, the captain of Australia who was to be the most wanted player, did not get a buyer which was a shocking incident at the start of the day. However, seven out of eight marquee players were sold to teams. Deepti Sharma was the highest bid player during this session whose Right to Match (RTM) option was exercised by UP Warriorz to bag the Indian all-rounder for Rs 3.20 crore.
Mumbai Indians made a move on New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr who was the joint top wicket-taker last season, and they paid her Rs 3 crore. Other marquee picking were Australian player Meg Lanning and New Zealander Sophie Devine. Gujarat Giants made a winning bid of Rs 2 crore for Devine while UP Warriorz won Lanning with a successful bid of Rs 1.90 crore after a tough fight with Delhi Capitals. The Capitals who had Lanning on their side earlier knew her worth when they consecutively reached the WPL finals holding her.
UP Warriorz entered the auction with the richest purse of Rs 14.5 crore and kept on performing during the entire event. They again used their RTM option to keep England's spinning talent Sophie Ecclestone for Rs 85 lakh. Meanwhile, the South African batter Laura Wolvaardt was to be the new face of Delhi Capitals at Rs 1.10 crore and Indian pace bowler Renuka Singh was picked out by Gujarat Giants for Rs 60 lakh.
Delhi Capitals also comprising Sneh Rana and Sree Charani, made their squad deeper by paying Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1.3 crore, respectively, for them.
The leading auction choices:
Deepti Sharma – Rs 3.2 crore, UP Warriorz
Amelia Kerr – Rs 3 crore, Mumbai Indians
Meg Lanning – Rs 1.9 crore, UP Warriorz
Sophie Devine – Rs 2 crore, Gujarat Giants
Sophie Ecclestone – Rs 85 lakh, UP Warriorz
Laura Wolvaardt – Rs 1.1 crore, Delhi Capitals
Renuka Singh – Rs 60 lakh, Gujarat Giants
Among the players who were not sold, there were Alyssa Healy, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, and Alana King from England and Australia respectively. These surprising outcomes have opened up a competitive scenario for the teams to consider.
The complete list of sold players is a mixture of star players and their rising counterparts, which indicates the franchises' strategic approach of blending experienced and talented players. Among the domestic players, Shikha Pandey (UP Warriorz, Rs 2.4 crore) and Georgia Wareham (Gujarat Giants, Rs 1 crore) were the most prominent acquisitions.
Franchises are already thinking about the 2026 WPL season and their focus will be on the formation of strong teams around their star players and at the same time making the best use of the remaining money. The auction results have raised the bar for competition in the tournament where the best all-rounders and fast bowlers are equally shared among the five teams.
