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WPL 2026 Mega Auction: Lanning, Deepti Among 277 Stars Under Hammer

The Women's Premier League mega auction is set for Thursday with 277 players available. Top international stars like Meg Lanning and Deepti Sharma headline the marquee list. Teams have varying strategies with UP Warriorz holding the largest purse. This auction will shape team compositions for the upcoming WPL season.

Key Points: WPL 2026 Mega Auction Features Lanning Deepti Sharma Renuka

  • 277 players going under hammer with 194 Indian and 83 overseas stars
  • UP Warriorz enter with largest purse while MI and DC retained maximum players
  • Youngest players aged 16 contrast with veteran Shabnim Ismail at 37
  • Defending champions Mumbai Indians led by Harmanpreet Kaur seek to strengthen squad
2 min read

WPL 2026 mega auction to take place on Thursday; Lanning, Deepti, Renuka, Wolvaardt among stars in focus

WPL 2026 mega auction features 277 players including Meg Lanning, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh. Teams have Rs 41.1 crore purse for 73 slots across five franchises.

"The marquee players will open the day - WPL Auction Announcement"

New Delhi, November 26

The Women's Premier League (WPL) mega auction will take place on Thursday in the national capital with a total of 277 players going under the hammer, including 194 Indian players and 83 overseas players.

Out of 194 Indian players, 52 of them are capped, while 83 overseas players feature 66 capped players. The marquee players' will open the day, featuring top names like the 2025 Women's World Cup 'Player of the Tournament' Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh from India, and New Zealand stars Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr. England's star spinner Sophie Ecclestone, Aussie legends Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, the latter being the three-time runners-up with Delhi Capitals (DC) and 2025 Women's World Cup leading run-getter Laura Wolvaardt.

The youngest players in the auction are aged 16, Deeya Yadav and Bharati Singh, while former South African pacer Shabnim Ismail is the oldest at 37.

Each franchise will be allowed to build a squad of upto 18 players. A total of 73 slots have to be filled, including 23 overseas slots, across five franchises, as per Olympics.com.

UP Warriorz, who just retained the uncapped Indian batter Shweta Sehrawat, will be entering the auction with the largest amount of money in their purse, four right-to-match (RTM) options and a massive rebuilding to do.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, and three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) have retained the maximum quota of five players and have no RTM available.

DC also retained Shafali Varma and Jemimah Rodrigues, two young Indian batters who starred in India's ICC Women's World Cup title win, with standout performances in the knockout stages.

Gujarat Giants, who retained Australian stalwarts Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner, have purse of Rs nine crores, with 16 slots to fill, with four overseas names to get.

In these three seasons, WPL has seen some players getting massive bids, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana being the most expensive player in the tournament's history, with Rs 3.4 crore shelled out on her ahead of the inaugural season. She led RCB to the title in the 2024 season and was one of the four players, including Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil, retained by the franchise.

In total, 17 players, including seven overseas players, were retained across all franchises, and they will have a combined purse of Rs 41.1 crore to spend at the auction.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
UP Warriorz with the biggest purse but massive rebuilding needed. Hope they invest wisely in young talent like the 16-year-olds. Indian cricket needs to nurture these youngsters properly.
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Sarah B
Interesting to see the mix of experienced players like Shabnim Ismail (37) and young talents (16). This diversity will really help develop women's cricket globally. Good to see so many capped players available too!
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Arjun K
Delhi Capitals retaining Shafali and Jemimah is a smart move. These two were absolute fire in the World Cup knockout stages! Hope they continue their form in WPL. 🔥
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Michael C
While it's great to see women's cricket growing, I hope the franchises don't overspend on just a few star players. The money should be distributed more evenly to develop a stronger pool of domestic talent.
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Kavya N
Can't wait to see where Laura Wolvaardt ends up! She was incredible in the World Cup. Also hoping Renuka Singh gets the recognition she deserves - her bowling has been outstanding for India. 💪
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Vikram M
Gujarat Giants have a big task ahead with 16 slots to fill. Hope they build a balanced team this time. Last season they struggled despite having good players. Proper team combination is

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