The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction began on Thursday with 277 players entering the pool—194 Indian and 83 overseas—as five franchises look to strengthen their squads for the upcoming season.
The participating teams—UP Warriorz, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Giants, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru—are collectively aiming to fill 73 available slots, which include 50 Indian and 23 overseas positions. Under the league rules, each franchise must have a minimum of 15 players and can carry a maximum of 18 players.
Ahead of the auction, 17 players (including seven overseas stars) were retained by their respective franchises. Together, the five teams entered the auction room with a combined purse of ₹41.1 crore.
Marquee Set Opens the Bidding
The bidding commenced with the star-studded marquee set comprising eight of the world’s most prominent women cricketers:
- Deepti Sharma (India)
- Renuka Singh (India)
- Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
- Sophie Ecclestone (England)
- Alyssa Healy (Australia)
- Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
- Meg Lanning (Australia)
- Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
These high-profile players set the tone for a competitive auction as teams looked to secure seasoned match-winners for the 2026 season.
WPL 2026 Auction: Players Bought by UP Warriorz
- Deepti Sharma – ₹3.2 crore
- Shikha Pandey – ₹2.4 crore
- Meg Lanning – ₹1.9 crore
- Phoebe Litchfield – ₹1.2 crore
- Asha Sobhana – ₹1.1 crore
- Sophie Ecclestone – ₹85 lakh
- Deandra Dottin – ₹80 lakh
- Harleen Deol – ₹50 lakh
- Kranti Gaud – ₹50 lakh
- Chloe Tryon – ₹30 lakh
- Shipra Giri – ₹10 lakh
- Simran Shaikh – ₹10 lakh
- Tara Norris – ₹10 lakh
- Suman Meena – ₹10 lakh