WPL 2026 Auction Ends: Top Players, Big Money, Team Battles Revealed

The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction was finalized on Thursday, with the intense bidding battles among the five franchises - UP Warriorz, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Gujarat Giants - making the event very exciting. A total of 277 players, out of which 194 were Indians and 83 were overseas stars, were contested for 73 places, thereby making a very competitive situation.

The highest-priced player in WPL history, Deepti Sharma, was the most important purchase, and she moved to UP Warriorz for Rs 3.2 crore. On the contrary, the Australia women’s star, Alyssa Healy was not sold and that led to a heated debate amongst the fans and pundits which was very surprising.

The 2026 season, which will be the fourth edition of the WPL league, is expected to kick off on January 9, with the first matches taking place in Mumbai and Vadodara. The franchises have brought together experienced foreign players and fresh talent and hence, there are high expectations for a great number of crowd pullers and competitive matches.

The Mumbai Indians, who are a team focusing on constancy and all-round strength, won't lose the next auction.

Though the auction was done with a limited budget, Mumbai Indians have been wise in their choice by enhancing their team. They did not only keep their star players like Amelia Kerr, who came back for Rs 3 crore, but also added new talented players like Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, and Saika Ishaque. The hype around MI's being the team with the most talented players is thus further confirmed.

More than that, MI's pivot onto all-rounders was even more pronounced with the signing of Nicola Carey, an all-rounder who has played extensively in the WBBL and is seasoned to the max. The franchise has thus a team full of batting, bowling, and all-rounder and is truly well-balanced and ready for the 2026 campaign.

Projected Playing XI: Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Sajeevan Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, Sanskriti Gupta, Saika Ishaque, Shabnim Ismail

Delhi Capitals Target Leadership and Young Talent

Delhi Capitals who made the announcement very early about new captain decision after the exit of Meg Lanning were still in the auction. The franchise has barely drilled down the available choices to Laura Wolvaardt and Jemimah Rodrigues, both exuding on-field leadership qualities.

During the auction, DC splurged on Laura Wolvaardt, Shree Charani, and Chinelle Henry to daunt batting depth and spin options. The decision to retain Taniya Bhatia is seen as an element of wicketkeeping security, while Lizelle Lee joining in is viewed as a source of more consistent runs at the top of the order. The young bowlers Lucy Hamilton and Deeya Yadav are the ones who will bring in new pace. Thus, DC can be characterized as a future-oriented and balanced squad.

Projected Playing XI: Laura Wolvaardt, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Niki Prasad, Annabel Sutherland, Mamatha Madiwala (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Prioritize Proven Performers

RCB made the decision to limit their acquisitions to players who were WPL and internationals and focused on experienced players. The combination of Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, and Nadine de Klerk adds to the batting strength; meanwhile, the pace attack is supported by Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, and Lauren Bell. The spin department consists of Linsey Smith, Radha Yadav, and the new talent Shreyanka Patil.

RCB also used the RTM strategy to re-sign Prema Rawat, which maintains the expected squad depth. The team is looking to turn individual talent into consistent winning on-field results.

Projected Playing XI: Smriti Mandhana (C), Georgia Voll/Grace Harris, Ellyse Perry, Dayalan Hemalatha, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Lauren Bell/Linsey Smith

UP Warriorz Assemble Star-Studded Lineup

The UP Warriorz were one of the most aggressive and active teams at the auction. The main reasons for this were the acquirements of Meg Lanning and Deepti Sharma, among others, and the world-class hitters Phoebe Litchfield and Deandra Dottin backing up the team. Kiran Navgire, the returning player, will contribute the aggressive and high-scoring batting style while Sophie Ecclestone will be the mighty one in the spin bowling department.

The blend of experienced foreign players and Indian domestic superstars has made UP Warriorz a very strong and formidable team in the 2026 season.

Projected Playing XI: Kiran Navgire, Meg Lanning, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Phoebe Litchfield, Shipra Giri (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey, Tara Norris, and Kranti Goud.

Gujarat Giants Seek Consistency

The Gujarat Giants kept Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner in the team but could not make stronger due to the budget limitations. Sophie Devine still is very important batter but her form has not been consistent after quitting T20I cricket. The middle order will be depending on the trio of Yastika Bhatia, Bharati Fulmali, and Kanika Ahuja while Renuka Singh and Kashvee Gautam are the pace frontliners. Spin will be from Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and Gardner, with the latter being a formidable bowler.

The newly formed Giants team has to master the difficult task of simultaneously bringing up the performances of all departments in order to be able to compete with the already stronger franchises.

Projected Playing XI: Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Ashleigh Gardner (C), Bharati Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Georgia Wareham, Renuka Singh, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad