The five Women’s Premier League franchises have retained a combined 63 players ahead of the 2027 season, setting the squad-building landscape for an October 28 auction that will feature 27 available slots.
The retention window closed on September 28, with 23 overseas players among those retained by Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz. Seven overseas positions remain open across the competition as teams prepare to complete their squads for the fifth WPL season.
UP Warriorz take largest purse into auction
UP Warriorz will have the greatest spending flexibility in Kochi after retaining 11 players at a total cost of INR 11.35 crore (approx. US$1.18 million). Their remaining purse stands at INR 3.65 crore (approx. US$380,000), with seven squad positions and two overseas slots available.
Mumbai Indians have also retained 11 players but have committed INR 14 crore (approx. US$1.46 million), leaving INR 1 crore (approx. US$104,000) for seven available positions. One of those can be filled by an overseas player.
Gujarat Giants have kept the largest squad intact, retaining 15 players for INR 13.75 crore (approx. US$1.43 million). They enter the auction with INR 1.25 crore (approx. US$130,000), three available places and one overseas opening.
Delhi Capitals have retained 13 players at a cost of INR 13.9 crore (approx. US$1.45 million), leaving INR 1.1 crore (approx. US$115,000) and five vacancies, including one overseas slot.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have also retained 13 players, spending INR 13.85 crore (approx. US$1.44 million). The franchise has INR 1.15 crore (approx. US$120,000) remaining for five positions and can add up to two overseas players.
Across all five franchises, INR 66.85 crore (approx. US$6.96 million) has been committed to retained players, leaving a combined INR 8.15 crore (approx. US$849,000) available at the auction.
Franchises preserve core groups
Delhi Capitals will carry forward a group featuring Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt. Chinelle Henry and Lucy Hamilton are also among the franchise’s five retained overseas players, alongside Indian players including Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad and N Sree Charani.
Gujarat Giants have retained 15 players, including Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham and Kim Garth. Renuka Singh, Kashvee Gautam, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Tanuja Kanwer are among the Indian players staying with the franchise.
Mumbai Indians have kept Harmanpreet Kaur alongside an overseas group comprising Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Nicola Carey and Shabnim Ismail. Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Rahila Firdous and Vaishnavi Sharma complete their retained group.
Reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have retained Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil among their 13 players. Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell and Nadine De Klerk also remain, while the franchise has two overseas positions available for the auction.
UP Warriorz will continue with Deepti Sharma, Meg Lanning, Sophie Ecclestone and Phoebe Litchfield, while Harleen Deol, Shikha Pandey, Pratika Rawal and Kranti Gaud are also retained. Tara Norris gives the franchise a fourth retained overseas player.
Notable players return to auction pool
The retention decisions have also put several established players back into the market. Delhi Capitals have released Lizelle Lee, Alana King and Sneh Rana, while Gujarat Giants have parted with Danni Wyatt-Hodge.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have released Grace Harris and Linsey Smith, while UP Warriorz have moved on from Deandra Dottin, Amy Jones and Chloe Tryon. Mumbai Indians’ released group includes Saika Ishaque and Gunalan Kamalini.
With no restriction on the number of players franchises could retain, teams were able to preserve substantial portions of their existing squads while creating different levels of room for additions at the auction.
Kochi auction to complete WPL squads
The WPL 2027 player auction will take place in Kochi on October 28, giving franchises their opportunity to fill the remaining 27 positions within the competition-wide salary structure.
Teams can carry a maximum of 18 players, including no more than six overseas cricketers. The contrasting purse positions mean UP Warriorz will enter the auction with considerably more spending capacity than their four rivals, while Gujarat Giants need to fill only three places.
The fifth WPL season is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7, 2027, leaving franchises a little over two months after the auction to prepare their completed squads for the start of the competition.
