With anticipation running high for the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season, teams are setting the foundation for success with their updated rosters. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made waves on Thursday, November 7, by revealing their retained and released players ahead of the mini-auction. Notably, England’s Heather Knight stands out among the departures.
The new season sees some structural updates as well, the auction purse has grown to INR 15 crore, up from INR 12 crore in the inaugural season and INR 13.5 crore last year. Each team is permitted a maximum of 18 players, including up to six internationals. This increase is intended to give teams greater flexibility in building competitive squads.
RCB will enter the 2025 auction with INR 3.25 crore, giving them ample room to recruit four additional players, including at least one overseas name.
The franchise has chosen to retain 15 core players, emphasizing consistency and continuity in their lineup. With Smriti Mandhana leading the squad, the retained players feature international powerhouses like Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, and Sophie Molineux. RCB is also banking on emerging Indian talents, including Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, and Renuka Singh Thakur.
𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧! 🏆
RCB Core remains Intact 👊
What do you think of this decision by RCB Franchise? 🤔#CricketTwitter #WPL2025 pic.twitter.com/1FjX8fAVka
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) November 7, 2024
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s retentions and releases:
Retained Players –
Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Sabbineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry (Australia), Georgia Wareham (Australia), Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Renuka Singh Thakur, Sophie Molineux (Australia), Ekta Bisht, Kate Cross (England), Kanika Ahuja, Danni Wyatt-Hodge (England – traded from UP Warriorz)
Released Players –
Heather Knight –
After a productive 2023 season with 135 runs and 4 wickets across 8 matches, Knight stepped back in 2024 to focus on international duties, leading RCB to re-evaluate her spot in the squad.
Disha Kasat and Indrani Roy –
Kasat appeared in 10 matches but scored only 11 runs. Together with Roy, both right-handed batters struggled to make an impact, prompting their release as RCB seeks more reliable batting depth.
Shubha Satheesh and Shradda Pokharkar –
Satheesh had no appearances, while Pokharkar’s three-match stint didn’t yield any notable results. Both players have been released to make way for fresh additions.
Nadine de Klerk –
Despite her all-round potential, de Klerk’s role was overshadowed by established pace bowling all-rounders like Perry and Devine. She played only one match last season, scoring 1 run and taking 2 wickets.
RCB will be on the lookout for key additions that can boost their lineup at the WPL 2025 auction. The primary focus may be to secure an overseas all-rounder to fill Knight’s role, along with other specialized players who can reinforce both batting and bowling. This mini-auction is the final opportunity for teams to complete their squads, ensuring a balanced and competitive roster for the upcoming season.
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