Lagatar24 Desk
The WPL 2026 mega auction concluded at JW Marriott Hotel, where 277 players were listed but only 67 were sold, including 23 overseas cricketers. The five franchises collectively spent ₹40.8 crore to strengthen their squads ahead of the next season.
Deepti Sharma and Amelia Kerr Emerge as Top Buys
Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma became the most expensive player of the auction as UP Warriors retained her through an RTM card for ₹3.20 crore. Among overseas players, New Zealand star Amelia Kerr topped the charts with Mumbai Indians retaining her for ₹3 crore via the RTM option. Each franchise was allowed to purchase a maximum of 18 players, including up to seven overseas cricketers.
Major Signings and Notable Unsold Players
Australian captain Alyssa Healy remained a surprise unsold player despite a base price of ₹50 lakh. Gujarat Giants signed Sophie Devine for ₹2 crore, while Renuka Singh joined the franchise for ₹60 lakh. UP Warriors bought former Australia captain Meg Lanning for ₹1.9 crore, and Delhi Capitals secured Laura Wolvaardt for ₹1.1 crore. UP also added Phoebe Litchfield for ₹1.2 crore, and Delhi spent a combined ₹2.6 crore on Chinelle Henry and Sri Charani. Indian all-rounder Shikha Pandey received ₹2.40 crore from UP Warriors after entering at a base price of ₹40 lakh.
High Demand for Spin Options Across Teams
UP Warriors secured Asha Sobhana for ₹1.10 crore, while Delhi Capitals reinforced their spin department by signing players like Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani and others.
Players Retained Before the Auction
Delhi Capitals retained Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp and Nikki Prasad.
Mumbai Indians retained Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur and G. Kamalini.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil.
Gujarat Giants retained Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney.
UP Warriors retained Shweta Sehrawat as their lone pre-auction retention.
