The mega auction for the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season concluded on Thursday. Of the 277 players, 67 went under the hammer, including 23 overseas players. The franchises spent a combined total of ₹40.8 crore (₹408 million) .
The biggest news of this auction was that Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma was retained by UP Warriorz (UPW) for ₹3.2 crore using the RTM card —the highest bid of the auction.
The 2026 WPL season begins on January 9th. Following the auction, all teams’ squads have been revealed. Here’s a look at which teams have the upper hand and which look the most balanced.
1. UP Warriorz: Most balanced and experienced team thanks to RTM
UP Warriors adopted the most aggressive and clear strategy in the mega auction. Bringing back Deepti Sharma for ₹3.2 crore via RTM (Right of Time) proved to be the franchise’s biggest and most successful move. The team also retained Sophie Ecclestone and youngster Kranti Goud via RTM (Right of Time).
Core Strength: The team boasts some of the world’s strongest spin all-rounders in Deepti Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone. The arrival of legendary Australian captain Meg Lanning (₹1.9 crore) gives the team a strong leadership option.
| WPL 2026 – UP Warriorz Squad |
| Batsmen: Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Shweta Sehrawat, Shipra Giri |
| All-rounders: Deepti Sharma, Chloe Troyen, Kiran Navgire, Shikha Pandey |
| Bowlers: Sophie Ecclestone, Asha Shobana, Kranti Goud, Suman Meena, Tara Norris, Pratika Rawal |
2. Mumbai Indians: Champions League and Amelia Kerr’s return make them strong contenders again
Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) kept their core team unchanged, retaining captain Harmanpreet Kaur , Nat Sciver-Brunt , and Hayley Matthews .
Core Strength: MI made their biggest purchase by bringing back Amelia Kerr (₹3 crore). Kerr’s all-round performance has been a reliable asset for the team. The return of South African fast bowler Shabnim Ismail has also strengthened their bowling department. MI once again appear to be strong contenders for the title.
| WPL 2026 – Mumbai Indians Squad |
| Batsmen: Harmanpreet Kaur, Poonam Khemnar, G. Kamalini, Rahila Firdous, Sankriti Gupta |
| All-rounders: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey |
| Bowlers: Shabnim Ismail, Saiqa Ishak, Nala Reddy, Sajeevan Sajna, Millie Illingworth |
3. Gujarat Giants: Bet big on power hitting and pace-spin combination
Gujarat Giants started the auction with a bang by adding Sophie Devine (₹2 crore). The team had already retained Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney .
Core Strength: The trio of Mooney, Gardner, and Devine gives Gujarat a formidable power-hitting lineup . With the addition of Indian fast bowler Renuka Singh Thakur (₹60 lakh) and young Kashvi Gautam , the team’s bowling attack also looks stronger than ever.
| WPL 2026 – Gujarat Giants Squad |
| Batsmen: Beth Mooney, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Yastika Bhatia, Bharti Fulmali, Anushka Sharma |
| All-rounders: Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Devine, Kim Garth, Ayushi Soni |
| Bowlers: Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu, Georgia Wareham, Rajeshwari Gaikwad, Tanuja Kanwar, Happy Kumari, Shivani Singh |
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Perfect blend of experience and bowling
RCB focused on balance this time around after the disappointment of 2024. They retained their Indian and overseas core by retaining Smriti Mandhana , Richa Ghosh , Ellyse Perry , and Shreyanka Patil .
Core Strength: The team bolstered its middle order with the signings of Australian batter Georgia Voll (₹60 lakh) and South African fast bowler Nadine de Klerk (₹65 lakh). With the additions of Lauren Bell , Linsey Smith , and Arundhati Reddy, RCB’s bowling unit now looks more balanced and aggressive.
| WPL 2026 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Squad |
| Batsmen: Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Georgia Wall, Dayalan Hemalatha, Prathyusha Kumar, Prema Rawat |
| All-rounders: Ellyse Perry, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris |
| Bowlers: Lauren Bell, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Linsey Smith, Gautami Naik |
5. Delhi Capitals: Core strength intact, middle order gains new depth
With a limited budget, the Delhi Capitals relied on retained players (Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland). After losing Deepti Sharma to RTM, Delhi changed their strategy.
Core Strength: Delhi focused on strengthening their batting line-up and middle order. They added West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry , India’s emerging player Shree Charani , and South Africa’s top-ranked batsman Ellie Wolvaardt to add depth to the team. The addition of wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee gave them an experienced overseas wicketkeeping option.
| WPL 2026 – Delhi Capitals Squad |
| Batsmen: Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, L. Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Nandini Sharma |
| All-rounders: Marijn Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Chinelle Henry, Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad |
| Bowlers: Mamta Madiwala, Sneh Rana, Diya Yadav, Taniya Bhatia (Wk), Shree Charani, Lucy Hamilton |
