WPL 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana retained by respective franchises; Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy released
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WPL 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana retained by respective franchises; Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy released")
WPL 2026: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana retained by respective franchises; Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy released Photograph: (AFP)
Among the top retained players are Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, who shone in the recently concluded Women’s ODI World Cup.
The deadline for the Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026) came to an end on Wednesday (Nov 5) as all five franchises are now set to enter the auction pool. Among the top retained players are Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, who shone in the recently concluded Women’s ODI World Cup. However, top players that won’t be retained by the franchises include Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning and India’s World Cup-winning hero Deepti Sharma.
WPL possible retentions
According to ESPNcricinfo two teams - defending champions Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals - have retained five players, the maximum allowed by WPL; Royals Challengers Bengaluru have retained four players, Gujarat Giants have retained two and UP Warriorz have retained one.
Delhi Capitals: Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini and Hayley Matthews
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil
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Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney
UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat.
WPL auctions on November 27?
After a huge success in the Women’s World Cup, the women’s game has got a huge platform as India lifted the trophy for the first time in its history. With this lift still new, the attention will be on the WPL auctions. Unlike other auctions, this will be the mega-auction version, meaning the franchises will have limited options to retain players and along with a fixed cap. If a report from India Today is believed, this year’s auction will be one to keep a close eye on as it is likely to take place in New Delhi on Nov 27.
What was the retention slab?
- Retention 1: ₹3.50 crore
- Retention 2: ₹2.50 crore
- Retention 3: ₹1.75 crore
- Retention 4: ₹1 crore
- Retention 5: ₹50 lakh
This means a team retaining five players will have ₹9.25 crore deducted from its purse and will not be eligible for any RTM cards. Teams retaining four players will lose ₹8.75 crore but can use one RTM, while those with three retentions will have two RTMs.
Each uncapped player retained will cost ₹50 lakh, and franchises are free to pay players more than the slab rate, with the excess deducted from their total purse.
When is the registration deadline for WPL 2026?
The BCCI has set November 18 as the last date for player registrations, while the final list of players eligible for the auction will be released on November 20.
In 2025, the five Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises retained a total of 71 players, leaving just 19 spots up for grabs at the upcoming auction.
