SPORTS DESK: WPL 2026 Mega Auction Wrap: Who Went to Which Team?
The Women’s Premier League 2026 mega auction wrapped up in New Delhi with franchises snapping up 67 players, including 23 overseas talents, for a total purse of Rs.40.8 crore.
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma stole the spotlight, rejoining UP Warriorz via Right to Match for a record Rs.3.2 crore.
New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr fetched Rs.3 crore from Mumbai Indians, while Shikha Pandey commanded Rs.2.4 crore back to UP Warriorz.
This high-stakes bidding war reshaped squads ahead of the March 2026 season, blending retained stars with fresh faces.
Teams balanced firepower across batting, bowling, and all-round skills, setting the stage for fierce rivalries.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Builds Depth
RCB held onto core performers like Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry, then layered in versatile picks to bolster their attack.
- Georgia Wolvaardt (Rs 60 lakh)
- Nadine de Klerk (Rs 65 lakh)
- Radha Yadav (Rs 65 lakh)
- Lauren Bell (Rs 90 lakh)
- Lauren Smith (Rs 30 lakh)
- Prema Rawat (Rs 20 lakh, RTM)
- Arundhati Reddy (Rs 75 lakh)
- Pooja Vastrakar (Rs 85 lakh)
- Grace Harris (Rs 75 lakh)
- Gautami Nayak (Rs 10 lakh)
- Pratyusha Kumar (Rs 10 lakh)
- Dayalan Hemalatha (Rs 30 lakh)
Retained: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil.
Mumbai Indians Eyes Balance
With Harmanpreet Kaur leading the retained pack, MI invested in spin and pace to chase another title.
- Amelia Kerr (Rs 3 crore)
- Shabnim Ismail (Rs 60 lakh)
- Samksruti Gupta (Rs 20 lakh)
- Sajeevan Sajana (Rs 75 lakh)
- Rahila (Rs 10 lakh)
- Nicola Carey (Rs 30 lakh)
- Triveni Vashishtha (Rs 20 lakh)
- Nalla Reddy (Rs 10 lakh)
- Saika Ishaque (Rs 30 lakh)
- Millie Illingworth (Rs 10 lakh)
Retained: Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, G Kamalini.
Delhi Capitals Bolsters Overseas Core
DC retained batting anchors and added all-round punch, spending big on international experience.
- Laura Wolvaardt (Rs 1.1 crore)
- Chinelle Henry (Rs 1.3 crore)
- Sree Charani (Rs 1.3 crore)
- Sneh Rana (Rs 50 lakh)
- Lizelle Lee (Rs 30 lakh)
- Diya Yadav (Rs 10 lakh)
- Taniya Bhatia (Rs 30 lakh)
- Mamata Madi (Rs 10 lakh)
- Nandini Sharma (Rs 10 lakh)
- Jess Hampson (Rs 10 lakh)
- Minnu Mani (Rs 40 lakh)
Retained: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Titas Sadhu.
UP Warriorz Splurges on Stars
UP Warriorz went all-in, reclaiming Deepti and landing heavy-hitters like Meg Lanning for a title tilt.
- Deepti Sharma (Rs 3.2 crore, RTM)
- Sophie Ecclestone (Rs 85 lakh)
- Meg Lanning (Rs 1.9 crore)
- Phoebe Litchfield (Rs 1.2 crore)
- Kiran Navgire (Rs 60 lakh)
- Harleen Deol (Rs 50 lakh)
- Kranti Goud (Rs 50 lakh, RTM)
- Asha Sobhana (Rs 1.1 crore)
- Deandra Dottin (Rs 80 lakh)
- Shikha Pandey (Rs 2.4 crore)
- Simran Shaikh (Rs 10 lakh)
- Shipra Giri (Rs 10 lakh)
- Chloe Tryon (Rs 30 lakh)
- Suman Meena (Rs 10 lakh)
- Gongadi Trisha (Rs 10 lakh)
- Pratika Rawal (Rs 40 lakh)
- Tahlia McGrath (Rs 10 lakh)
Retained: Shweta Sehrawat.
Gujarat Giants Refreshes Lineup
GG retained spin wizard Ashleigh Gardner and keeper Beth Mooney, then hunted value buys for depth.
- Sophie Devine (Rs 2 crore)
- Renuka Singh (Rs 60 lakh)
- Bharti Fulmali (Rs 70 lakh)
- Titas Sadhu (Rs 30 lakh)
- Kashvee Gautam (Rs 75 lakh, RTM)
- Kanika Ahuja (Rs 30 lakh)
- Tanuja Kanwar (Rs 45 lakh)
- Georgia Wareham (Rs 1 crore)
- Anushka Sharma (Rs 45 lakh)
- Happy Kumari (Rs 10 lakh)
- Kim Garth (Rs 50 lakh)
- Yastika Bhatia (Rs 50 lakh)
- Dani Wyatt (Rs 50 lakh)
- Ayushi Soni (Rs 30 lakh)
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad (Rs 40 lakh)
- Shivani Singh (Rs 10 lakh)
Retained: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney.
Unsold Stars Left in Limbo
Several big names drew no bids, leaving fans stunned and players pondering next moves.
- Alyssa Healy
- Uma Chetry
- Amy Jones
- Heather Knight
- Heather Graham
- Alana King
- Chamari Athapaththu
- Tazmin Brits
- Suzie Bates
- Sophia Dunkley
- Alyssa Capsey
- S Meghana
These snubs highlight the auction’s ruthlessness, with franchises prioritizing emerging talent over established pedigrees.