How WPL Squads Look After the 2026 Auction
The WPL 2026 Mega Auction concluded on November 27, 2025. A total of 67 players were sold, including 23 overseas signings, for a combined spend of ₹40.8 crore. The auction delivered some big buys in a major reshaping of all 5 squads ahead of the new season in 2026. Some big names in women’s cricket even went unsold.
Australian allrounder Jess Jonassen withdrew from the auction due to injury. India’s World Cup-winning star Deepti Sharma came out on top as the costliest buy at ₹3.2 crore through UP Warriorz’ RTM card, matching the second-highest price ever paid in WPL.
Mumbai Indians spent heavily on Amelia Kerr, signing the New Zealand allrounder for ₹3 crore. Pacer Shikha Pandey also triggered one of the day’s longest bidding wars before UP Warriorz secured her services for ₹2.4 crore.
A string of players crossed the ₹1-crore mark, including Sophie Devine, Meg Lanning, Laura Wolvaardt, Asha Sobhana, Georgia Wareham, Chinelle Henry and Sree Charani.
In a surprise twist, big names like Alyssa Healy, Heather Knight, Chamari Athapaththu, Alana King, Amy Jones and Alice Capsey went unsold.
UP Warriorz (18 players | 6 overseas)
UP Warriorz entered the auction with the biggest purse and built one of their strongest squads yet. They secured 3 of the 5 most expensive buys at the auction in Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey and Meg Lanning. In comparison, Sophie Ecclestone (₹85 lakh), Deandra Dottin (₹80 lakh) and Kranti Gaud (₹50 lakh) were steal buys. They utilised their remaining RTMs to buy back Kiran Navgire for ₹60 lakh and pacer Kranti Gaud for ₹50 lakh. The only Associate player of WPL 2026 is also in their squad, USA’s left-arm seamer Tara Norris.
Major Buys
- Deepti Sharma – ₹3.2 crore (RTM)
- Shikha Pandey – ₹2.4 crore
- Meg Lanning – ₹1.9 crore
- Phoebe Litchfield – ₹1.2 crore
- Asha Sobhana – ₹1.1 crore
Full WPL Squad Breakdown
Batters: Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire (RTM), Pratika Rawal, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Simran Shaikh
Wicketkeepers: Shipra Giri
Allrounders: Deepti Sharma (RTM), Deandra Dottin, Chloe Tryon, G Trisha, Suman Meena
Spinners: Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone (RTM)
Fast bowlers: Shikha Pandey, Kranti Gaud (RTM), Tara Norris
Delhi Capitals (16 players | 6 overseas)
Delhi Capitals prioritised allrounders and middle-order strength. They spent ₹1.3 crore each on Chinelle Henry and Shree Charani, making them the team’s biggest purchases. Their squad remains strong but light on Indian fast bowlers. Another interesting prospect is Haryana’s 16-year-old Deeya Yadav. DC’s head coach Jonathan Batty has described the prodigy as “a young Shafali.”
Major Buys
- Chinelle Henry – ₹1.3 crore
- Shree Charani – ₹1.3 crore
- Laura Wolvaardt – ₹1.1 crore
Full WPL Squad Breakdown
Batters: Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Deeya Yadav
Wicketkeepers: Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Mamatha Madiwala
Allrounders: Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Lucy Hamilton
Spinners: Shree Charani
Fast bowlers: Nandani Sharma
Gujarat Giants (18 players | 6 overseas)
Gujarat’s top signing was Sophie Devine for ₹2 crore. With Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner already retained, they now have a dependable core. They strengthened their overseas group with Georgia Wareham and invested in young Indian talent in Bharti Fulmali through the RTM option. They added Georgia Wareham for ₹1 crore and Yastika Bhatia later in the day for ₹50L but the latter’s availability is uncertain due to an injury. Titas Sadhu and Kashvee Gautam are promising youngsters in the squad.
Major Buys
- Sophie Devine – ₹2 crore
- Georgia Wareham – ₹1 crore
- Kashvee Gautam – ₹65 lakh (RTM)
Full WPL Squad Breakdown
Batters: Bharti Fulmali (RTM), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Shivani Singh
Wicketkeepers: Beth Mooney, Yastika Bhatia
Allrounders: Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Kashvee Gautam, Anushka Sharma, Kanika Ahuja, Ayushi Soni
Spinners: Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
Fast bowlers: Renuka Singh, Kim Garth, Titas Sadhu, Happy Kumari
Mumbai Indians (16 players | 6 overseas)
Mumbai Indians stayed true to their blueprint. They retained the core that won them 2 WPL titles in the first three WPL seasons and invested in high-impact allrounders. They spent a massive ₹3 crore, i.e. 52% of their purse, only on New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr and later managed to add Shabnim Ismail back for ₹60 lakh. MI now have one of the deepest multi-skilled units in the competition with a longlist of allrounders in their squad.
Major Buys
- Amelia Kerr – ₹3 crore
- Shabnim Ismail – ₹60 lakh
- Amanjot Kaur – ₹1 crore
Full WPL Squad Breakdown
Batters: Harmanpreet Kaur
Wicketkeepers: G Kamalini, Rahila Firdous
Allrounders: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Sanskriti Gupta, S Sajana, Nicola Carey, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Poonam Khemnar
Spinners: Saika Ishaque
Fast bowlers: Shabnim Ismail, Milly Illingworth
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (16 players | 6 overseas)
RCB missed out on Shikha Pandey despite going up to ₹2.2 crore. Their most expensive signing became Lauren Bell for ₹90 lakh, followed by Pooja Vastrakar (₹85 lakh) and Grace Harris (₹75 lakh). Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav were picked at ₹65 lakh each, while Grace Harris was picked at ₹75 lakh. The squad has strong overseas experience but lacks a proven Indian middle-order batter.
Major Buys
- Lauren Bell – ₹90 lakh
- Pooja Vastrakar – ₹85 lakh
- Grace Harris – ₹75 lakh
Full WPL Squad Breakdown
Batters: Smriti Mandhana, Georgia Voll, D Hemalatha, Gautami Naik
Wicketkeepers: Richa Ghosh, Pratyoosha Kumar
Allrounders: Ellyse Perry, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Nadine de Klerk
Spinners: Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat (RTM)
Fast bowlers: Arundhati Reddy, Lauren Bell
WPL Auction Overview
- UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants built the largest squads with 18 players each.
- Mumbai Indians, RCB and Delhi Capitals completed squads of 16 players each.
- Most purses were fully utilised, with only ₹15 lakh left each for GG and UPW.
The WPL 2026 season will begin on January 9 and end on February 5. The tournament will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.