Follow UsDefending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and last season’s runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) are the only two franchises to have retained the maximum of five players each ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Some of India’s biggest names - Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, and Amanjot Kaur - have all been retained by their respective franchises following India’s historic 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup triumph.
In a major surprise, Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Tournament from that World Cup, has been released by UP Warriorz. Other high-profile releases include Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, and Amelia Kerr, while Sophie Ecclestone, Renuka Singh Thakur, Laura Wolvaardt (the World Cup’s leading run-scorer), and Phoebe Litchfield have also not been retained.
Players Retained (according to ESPNcricinfo)
Delhi Capitals: Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini, Hayley Matthews
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney
UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat
Retention Rules & Auction Details
As per the new retention policy, each franchise can retain:
Up to 3 capped Indian players
Up to 2 overseas players
Up to 2 uncapped Indian players
If a team opts to retain five players, at least one must be uncapped.
Retention Price Structure
Slot Player Price (INR)
1 Player 1 3.5 crore
2 Player 2 2.5 crore
3 Player 3 1.75 crore
4 Player 4 1 crore
5 Player 5 50 lakh
All teams have been allotted a base purse of INR 15 crore for the mega auction, scheduled to be held in Delhi between November 26 to 29. The player registration deadline is November 18, and the final list will be released by the BCCI on November 20, reported Cricbuzz.
Remaining Purses & RTM Cards
Mumbai Indians / Delhi Capitals
Retained five players each → ₹9.25 crore deducted, no RTM cards available.
Remaining purse: ₹5.75 crore.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Retained four players → ₹8.75 crore spent, one RTM card available.
Remaining purse: ₹6.25 crore.
Gujarat Giants
Retained two overseas players → ₹6 crore spent, three RTM cards (for Indian players only).
Remaining purse: ₹9 crore.
UP Warriorz
Retained only uncapped Shweta Sehrawat → ₹50 lakh spent, four RTM cards available.
Remaining purse: ₹14.50 crore (highest).