The WPL auction is heating up ahead of its 4th edition, scheduled for January 2026. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now released the official retention and auction rules for the WPL 2026 season. Teams have finalized which players they want to keep and which players have been released back into the auction pool.
Below, you’ll find the full retention list and released players list for all five WPL franchises, based on the latest BCCI confirmation.
Retained Players For WPL 2025
Here are the players retained by each team for the WPL 2026:
Gujarat Giants Women (GG-W)
Gujarat Giants have retained only two key overseas players ahead of the WPL 2026 Mega Auction — Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney. With a major squad release, GG will be rebuilding heavily during the auction. The team also has 3 RTM cards available, giving them the flexibility to re-sign former players if needed.
GG-W Retained Players for WPL 2026
| Sr. No. | Player Name | Player Type | Retention Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashleigh Gardner | Overseas | ₹3.5 crore |
| 2 | Beth Mooney | Overseas | ₹2.5 crore |
- Remaining Purse: ₹9 crore
- RTMs Available: 3 (2 capped, 1 uncapped)
- Core Retained: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney
Released Players:
Bharti Fulmali, Danielle Gibson, Dayalan Hemalatha, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Laura Wolvaardt, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh, Phoebe Litchfield, Prakashika Naik, Priya Mishra, Sayali Satghare, Shabnam Shakil, Simran Shaikh, Tanuja Kanwer
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCB-W)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have retained four key players ahead of the WPL 2026 Mega Auction. Since they have retained fewer than the maximum allowed five players, RCB will have 1 Right-To-Match (RTM) card available during the auction. With a strong core of Indian batting talent and experienced all-round options, RCB will now look to fill remaining squad gaps strategically.
RCB-W Retained Players for WPL 2026
| Sr. No. | Player Name | Player Type | Retention Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smriti Mandhana | Indian | ₹3.5 crore |
| 2 | Richa Ghosh | Indian | ₹2.75 crore |
| 3 | Ellyse Perry | Overseas | ₹2 crore |
| 4 | Shreyanka Patil | Indian (Uncapped) | ₹60 lakh |
- Remaining Purse: ₹6.15 crore
- RTM Available: 1 Card
- Core Retained: Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil
Released Players:
Sabbhineni Meghana, Nuzhat Parween, Kanika Ahuja, Raghvi Bist, Sneh Rana, Asha Sobhana, Ekta Bisht, VJ Joshitha, Jagrav Pawar, Prema Rawat, Renuka Singh, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Charlie Dean, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross.
Mumbai Indians Women (MI-W)
Mumbai Indians Women have retained a strong core ahead of the WPL 2026 Mega Auction. With a purse of ₹15 crore and 16–18 squad slots, MI-W have used a major share to keep their captain and key match-winners. However, since they retained five players, they will not have the Right to Match (RTM) option at the auction.
MI-W Retained Players for WPL 2026
| Sr. No. | Player Name | Player Type | Retention Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nat Sciver-Brunt | Overseas | ₹3.5 crore |
| 2 | Harmanpreet Kaur | Indian | ₹2.5 crore |
| 3 | Hayley Matthews | Overseas | ₹1.75 crore |
| 4 | Amanjot Kaur | Indian | ₹1 crore |
| 5 | G. Kamalini | Uncapped | ₹50 lakh |
- Remaining Purse: ₹5.75 crore
- Core Retained: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini
Released Players:
Akshita Maheshwari, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Jintimani Kalita, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Nadine de Klerk, Parunika Sisodia, Saika Ishaque, S Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Yastika Bhatia
Delhi Capitals Women (DC-W)
Delhi Capitals Women have made a notable decision by not retaining Meg Lanning, despite her being the franchise’s top run-scorer and captain across all three seasons. The team has instead focused on retaining strong Indian and overseas all-round balance. It remains to be seen whether DC attempts to repurchase Lanning in the auction.
DC-W Retained Players for WPL 2026
| Sr. No. | Player Name | Player Type | Retention Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jemimah Rodrigues | Indian | ₹2.2 crore |
| 2 | Shafali Verma | Indian | ₹2.2 crore |
| 3 | Marizanne Kapp | Overseas | ₹2.2 crore |
| 4 | Annabel Sutherland | Overseas | ₹2.2 crore |
| 5 | Niki Prasad | Uncapped | ₹50 lakh |
- Remaining Purse: ₹5.70 crore
- Core Retained: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Niki Prasad
Released Players:
Meg Lanning, Sneha Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Minnu Mani, N Charani, Shikha Pandey, Nandini Kashyap, Sarah Bryce, Taniya Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu.
UP Warriorz Women (UPW-W)
UP Warriorz have made the bold decision to release almost their entire squad, retaining only young uncapped talent Shweta Sehrawat. With one of the largest remaining purses, UPW will be among the most active teams at the WPL 2026 Mega Auction and hold 4 RTM cards to strategically rebuild.
UPW-W Retained Players for WPL 2026
| Sr. No. | Player Name | Player Type | Retention Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shweta Sehrawat | Indian (Uncapped) | ₹50 lakh |
- Remaining Purse: ₹14.5 crore
- RTMs Available: 4 (Maximum possible)
- Core Retained: Shweta Sehrawat (Squad to be rebuilt via auction)
Released Players:
Deepti Sharma, Alana King, Anjali Sarvani, Arushi Goel, Chamari Athapaththu, Chinelle Henry, Gouher Sultana, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Goud, Poonam Khemnar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Uma Chetry, Vrinda Dinesh
With the retained players now confirmed, the focus shifts to the WPL 2026 auction, where teams will look to strengthen the remaining spots in their squad. The introduction of the Right-to-Match card and a strict ₹15 crore purse means franchises must plan carefully to balance star players, all-round options, and emerging talent.
The auction strategy will play a major role in shaping each team’s performance for the upcoming season. Stay connected for further updates on auction targets, squad analysis, and final team combinations.
BCCI Guidelines Of WPL 2025
The retention process for all five WPL franchises has been completed ahead of the WPL 2026 season. Teams finalized their core groups before the 5 November 2025 retention deadline, and the WPL 2026 auction is scheduled to take place between 26–29 November 2025 in New Delhi, where the remaining squad spots will be filled.
Each franchise originally had a total purse of ₹15 crore. The final purse available for the auction now depends on how many players each team has retained. As per BCCI rules, a maximum of five players could be retained, with the following composition limits:
- Up to three capped Indian players
- Up to two overseas players
- Up to two uncapped Indian players
For the first time in WPL history, the Right-to-Match (RTM) card will be used in the 2026 auction. This allows franchises to buy back a released player by matching the highest bid made for her during the auction.
The official retention price slabs set by the BCCI are:
- 1st retained player: ₹3.5 crore
- 2nd retained player: ₹2.5 crore
- 3rd retained player: ₹1.75 crore
- 4th retained player: ₹1.0 crore
- 5th retained player: ₹0.5 crore
If a team has retained all five players, ₹9.25 crore has already been deducted from the purse, leaving ₹5.75 crore to be used in the auction to complete the squad.
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