In a thrilling auction for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 held in New Delhi, star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma emerged as the top pick. She was joined by other notable players like Shree Charani and South Africa's captain Laura Wolvaardt, who also attracted significant bids.
Deepti, who was named Player of the Tournament in the 2025 Women's World Cup, was acquired by UP Warriorz using their Right to Match (RTM) card for an impressive Rs 3.20 crore. This makes her the second-highest-paid Indian female player in WPL history, following Smriti Mandhana, the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Sophie Devine, who sat out the previous season due to personal commitments, was signed by Gujarat Giants for Rs 2 crore.
Mumbai Indians made a significant move by securing New Zealand's Amelia Kerr for Rs 3 crore, making her the second-most expensive player in this auction. Kerr played a crucial role in MI's championship victories in the 2023 and 2025 WPL seasons.
One of the biggest surprises of the auction was the unsold status of Australia's captain Alyssa Healy, who failed to attract any bids. Her teammate Alana King, known for her record-breaking seven-wicket haul in the recent 50-over World Cup, also went unsold.
Indian fast bowler Renuka Singh will join Gujarat Giants for Rs 60 lakh, having previously played for RCB, the former WPL champions.
UP Warriorz also made headlines by acquiring England's star spinner Sophie Ecclestone for Rs 85 lakh, retaining her through the RTM option. Additionally, Australian cricket legend Meg Lanning was sold to UP Warriorz for Rs 1.9 crore.
Delhi Capitals successfully outbid RCB to sign South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt for Rs 1.10 crore. They also added West Indian batter Chinelle Henry for Rs 1.30 crore and Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana for Rs 50 lakh.
The UP Warriorz were the most active team during the auction, bringing in Deepti, Lanning, and Ecclestone, while also using the RTM to retain young Indian pacer Kranti Gaud for Rs 50 lakh.
They further bolstered their lineup by signing Asha Shobhana for Rs 1.10 crore and Harleen Deol for her base price of Rs 50 lakh. UP Warriorz also acquired Australian star Phoebe Litchfield for Rs 1.20 crore and Indian opener Pratika Rawal for Rs 50 lakh.
In a significant investment, UP Warriorz spent Rs 2.40 crore on veteran all-rounder Shikha Pandey, making her the third-most expensive player in the auction.
Shree Charani, who contributed to India's World Cup victory, was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 1.3 crore, followed by Sneh Rana for Rs 50 lakh.
Indian all-rounder Radha Yadav will join Smriti Mandhana's RCB for the upcoming WPL season, purchased for Rs 65 lakh. Another World Cup winner, Arundhati Reddy, was signed by the Bengaluru franchise for Rs 75 lakh.
Several notable players, including England's Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, New Zealand's Lea Tahuhu, and South African opener Tanzim Brits, went unsold during the auction.
The finalized squads for WPL 2026 are as follows:
Mumbai Indians: Nat Sciver-Brunt (Retained 3.5 Cr), Harmanpreet Kaur (Retained 2.5 Cr), Hayley Mathews (Retained 1.75 Cr), Amanjot Kaur (Retained 1 Cr), G Kamalini (Retained 50 Lakh), Amelia Kerr (3 Cr), Shabnim Ismail (60 Lakh), Sanskriti Gupta (20 Lakh), Sajeevan Sajana (75 Lakh), Rahila Firdous (10 Lakh), Nicola Carey (30 Lakh), Poonam Khemnar (10 Lakh), Triveni Vasistha (20 Lakh), Nalla Reddy (10 Lakh), Saika Ishaque (30 Lakh), Milly Illingworth (10 Lakh)
Delhi Capitals: Jemimah Rodrigues (Retained 2.2 Cr), Shafali Verma (Retained 2.2 Cr), Annabel Sutherland (Retained 2.2 Cr), Marizanne Kapp (Retained 2.2 Cr), Niki Prasad (Retained 50 Lakh), Laura Wolvaardt (1.1 Cr), Chinelle Henry (1.3 Cr), Sree Charani (1.3 Cr), Sneh Rana (50 Lakh), Lizelee Lee (30 Lakh), Deeya Yadav (10 Lakh), Taniyaa Bhatia (30 Lakh), Mamatha Madiwala (10 Lakh), Nandani Sharma (20 Lakh), Lucy Hamilton (10 Lakh), Minnu Mani (40 Lakh)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (Retained 3.5 Cr), Richa Ghosh (Retained 2.75 Cr), Ellyse Perry (Retained 2 Cr), Shreyanka Patil (Retained 60 Lakh), Georgia Voll (60 Lakh), Nadine de Klerk (65 Lakh), Radha Yadav (65 Lakh), Lauren Bell (90 Lakh), Linsey Smith (30 Lakh), Prema Rawat (RTM 20 Lakh), Arundathi Reddy (75 Lakh), Pooja Vastrakar (85 Lakh), Grace Harris (75 Lakh), Gautami Naik (10 Lakh), Prathyoosha Kumar (10 Lakh), D Hemalatha (30 Lakh)
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner (Retained 3.5 Cr), Beth Mooney (Retained 2.5 Cr), Sophie Devine (2 Cr), Renuka Singh (60 Lakh), Bharti Fulmali (RTM 70 Lakh), Titas Sadhu (30 Lakh), Kashvee Gautam (RTM 65 Lakh), Kanika Ahuja (30 Lakh), Tanuja Kanwar (45 Lakh), Georgia Wareham (1 Cr), Anushka Sharma (45 Lakh), Happy Kumari (10 Lakh), Kim Garth (50 Lakh), Yastika Bhatia (50 Lakh), Shivani Singh (10 Lakh), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (50 Lakh), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (40 Lakh), Ayushi Soni (30 Lakh)
UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat (Retained 50 Lakh), Deepti Sharma (RTM 3.2 Cr), Sophie Ecclestone (RTM 85 Lakh), Meg Lanning (1.9 Cr), Phoebe Litchfield (1.2 Cr), Kiran Navgire (RTM 60 Lakh), Harleen Deol (50 Lakh), Kranti Goud (RTM 50 Lakh), Asha Sobhana (1.1 Crore), Deandra Dottin (80 Lakh), Shikha Pandey (2.4 Crore), Shipra Giri (10 Lakh), Simran Shaikh (10 Lakh), Tara Norris (10 Lakh), Chloe Tryon (30 Lakh), Suman Meena (10 Lakh), G Trisha (10 Lakh), Pratika Rawal (50 Lakh).
