WPL 2026 Auction: The Women’s Premier League 2026 auction was full of thrills and surprises this time. Teams spent a lot of money on Indian and foreign players and many new faces joined the list of most expensive players. Players of all three categories – batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders – got huge prices in the auction. However, most of the attention went to Indian star all-rounder Deepti Sharma, on whom teams made huge bids.

Deepti Sharma – 3.2 crores (UP Warriorz)

Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma proved to be the most expensive player of the auction. The bid which started from the base price of Rs 50 lakh gradually reached crores and finally UP Warriors included him in their camp by paying Rs 3.2 crore. His experience, finishing ability and consistent performance with the ball forced franchises to make aggressive bids for him.

Emilia Kerr – 3 crores (Mumbai Indians)

New Zealand’s young all-rounder Amelia Kerr also left a strong impression in this auction. The bidding started with a base price of Rs 50 lakh and stopped at Rs 3 crore after a fierce fight between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. His ability to change matches with both ball and bat made him the most expensive foreign player in the auction.

Shikha Pandey – 2.4 crores (UP Warriorz)

UP Warriors also expressed confidence in experienced fast bowler Shikha Pandey and made her a part of the team for a hefty sum of Rs 2.4 crore. His swing, line-length and ability to remain calm under match pressure impressed both the fans and the franchise. Shikha’s inclusion gives a big weapon to UP’s bowling.

Sophie Devine – 2 crores (Gujarat Giants)

Gujarat Giants bought explosive all-rounder Sophie Devine for a huge bid of Rs 2 crore. His power-hitting and useful medium pace bowling makes him a match-winner in T20 cricket. Gujarat’s batting lineup looks quite strong after this purchase.

Meg Lanning – 1.9 Crore (UP Warriorz)

Australia’s legendary captain Meg Lanning was made a part of their team by UP Warriors for Rs 1.9 crore. Lanning’s experience, leadership and classic batting can make a big difference for UP in the coming season. His coming into the team is being considered one of the smartest buys of WPL 2026.

WPL Auction 2026 Live: The biggest day of the Women’s Premier League 2026 has arrived. Mega auction will start in Delhi from 3:30 pm today, where 5 franchises will bid for a total of 277 players. However, only 73 of these teams will be able to buy. This time the first big auction of the league is taking place, so all the teams are ready to strengthen their squad.

Today 194 Indian and 83 foreign cricketers are included in the auction. The special thing is that there is maximum enthusiasm about the star players of the Indian team which recently returned after winning the World Cup. All-rounder Deepti Sharma, fast bowler Renuka Singh, as well as international stalwarts like Sophie Devine, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning and Laura Wolvaardt are included in the marquee set. It is expected that big bids can be made on these names today.

Who can spend how much?

UP Warriors have the biggest purse, Rs 14.5 crore because they have retained only one player, so they have to buy a total of 17 players. This team can be seen most active in the auction.

Delhi Capitals has the least amount, Rs 5.70 crore. Whereas Mumbai Indians and RCB are left with Rs 5.75 crore and Rs 6.15 crore. Gujarat Giants is entering with a purse of Rs 9 crore.

Who needs how many players?

Mumbai and Delhi have to purchase 13 players each. RCB will need 14 players, Gujarat will need 16 players and UP will need maximum 17 players. Due to this, bidding is expected to be quite intense in the initial rounds.

Who will make the record?

The biggest question before the auction is whether this time any player will get more money than Smriti Mandhana (3.4 crores)? Looking at the names included in the marquee list, this seems possible.

Where to watch the auction?
Live streaming of the auction will be on JioHotstar app, while TV viewers can watch the coverage on Star Sports Network from 2:30 pm onwards.

WPL 2026 Auction: Women’s Premier League (WPL) has created such a platform for Indian women’s cricket in just three seasons, from where new stars have directly reached Team India. Names like Shri Charni, Kranti Gaur, Arshi Patil, Saika Ishaq, Titas Sadhu shone from this league and became part of the national team. This time there is a huge pool of 142 uncapped Indian players in the mega auction of 2026, and the eyes of the fans will be more on these emerging talents than the international stars.

Vaishnavi Sharma – The biggest bet?

Madhya Pradesh’s left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma can become the first choice of the teams in this auction. She came into limelight by taking a hat-trick and taking the most wickets in the U-19 World Cup. After this, she topped the competition in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy by taking 21 wickets in 11 matches. His success continued in the inter-zonal tournament also. His slow flying balls and fast turn can make him a hot pick of this auction.

Dia Yadav – The new ‘Shafali’?

Haryana’s aggressive opening batsman Diya Yadav scored a lot of runs in the 2025 season. 298 runs in 8 innings, strike rate 128 and three half-centuries are enough to attract the attention of scouts. By scoring 151 runs at a strike rate of 149 in the Inter-Zonal T20, he showed that he is a power hitter. Diya’s unbeaten inning of 213 runs in 2023 had also made her special.

Mamta Madiwala – Finisher and Wicketkeeper Combo

Hyderabad’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mamta Madiwala is among those players who can also finish the match in the lower order. In his debut match for India A against New Zealand, he led India A to victory by scoring an unbeaten 56 runs. Many franchises can look towards him in search of such a reliable player.

Tanisha Singh – Delhi’s all-rounder star

Delhi’s Tanisha Singh has attracted the attention of the teams even before the auction by becoming the ‘Most Valuable Player’ in the 2025 DPL. His batting and off-spin can prove to be match winning for both the teams. The experience of being the captain who made Delhi champion in the U-23 Trophy will work in her favor.

Yes. Trisha – two-time U-19 World Cup winner

Hyderabad’s Trisha has already named her name in the WPL auction, but now her form makes her a strong contender. 309 runs and 9 wickets in the U-19 World Cup, 44 unbeaten runs and 3 wickets in the final – these performances can attract any team. Trisha will definitely be in the eyes of the teams this time.

The Women’s Premier League 2026 season can start from January 7. BCCI can approve the names of Mumbai and Baroda for organizing all the matches of WPL 2026. Many women cricketers have declared DY Patil Stadium as their favourite, the first match of the season can be held in this ground. The next season of the Women’s Premier League can run from 7 January to 3 February.

According to Cricbuzz, if things progress as per the current situation, the final match can be played at Kotambi Stadium in Baroda. The Baroda leg can start from January 16, 5 days before that the first match of the India vs New Zealand ODI series will be played at the same ground.

According to the report, BCCI has not yet shared any information in this regard with the team owners. Right now discussions are going on at the informal level. It is being told that the teams will be informed about the start of the season during the WPL auction, which is going to be held on November 27 in Delhi. The names of Lucknow, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Baroda were discussed for organizing the matches, but it is being said that the names of Mumbai and Baroda may be approved.

The last season was played during February-March, but this time due to various reasons the Women’s Premier League can be organized in January. One reason could also be the Men’s T20 World Cup, which is to be played in February-March.

Mumbai Indians is the defending champion of WPL, having won the Women’s Premier League title for the second time by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final of WPL 2025. RCB has won the trophy once. Delhi Capitals has reached the finals thrice, but has not been able to achieve the feat of winning the trophy till now.

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