The stage is set for one of the most anticipated events in the women’s cricket calendar, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 Mega Auction, slated to take place on November 27 at a hotel in New Delhi’s Aerocity.
With the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirming the auction details and the retention policy, all five franchises are preparing for a bidding war that could redefine team compositions ahead of the tournament’s fourth edition, scheduled for early 2026.
As the WPL enters its fourth season, the competition’s narrative continues to grow richer with each passing year. Mumbai Indians, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, have dominated the league’s history so far, clinching the inaugural crown in 2023 and reclaiming the title in 2025.
Sandwiched between their triumphs was Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s fairytale victory in 2024 under Smriti Mandhana, a defining moment that marked RCB’s first-ever franchise championship before their men’s team finally mirrored that success in the 2025 IPL. Yet, amid the shifting champion’s podium, one constant has been the Delhi Capitals, under Meg Lanning’s leadership, finishing as runners-up in all three editions.
This WPL auction, however, carries fresh intrigue, both from a structural and emotional standpoint. Hot on the heels of India’s historic ICC Women’s ODI World Cup win on home soil, on 2nd November. The excitement around women’s cricket in the country has never been higher. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side ended India’s long wait for a global title by defeating South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt-led team by 52 runs in the Navi Mumbai final, scripting a defining chapter in the nation’s sporting history. Now, many of those World Cup heroes are set to headline the auction list later this month.
Key Auction Guidelines and Structure
The BCCI has allowed each franchise to retain a maximum of five players ahead of the auction, up to three capped Indian players and two overseas players. In case a team chooses to retain all five, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player. With the maximum squad size fixed at 18, about 90 players are expected to go under the hammer.
Adding a strategic layer to proceedings is the newly introduced Right to Match (RTM) option, which allows teams to re-acquire a released player by matching the highest bid. Franchises can deploy a maximum of five RTMs, although the number diminishes depending on prior retention. For instance, retaining four players leaves a team with one RTM, while teams retaining only one player can use up to four RTMs.
Several franchise officials have privately expressed optimism that RTMs will help maintain team identity and fan continuity, particularly for sides like Delhi and Mumbai, whose established cores have defined WPL rivalries.
The auction purse for each team has been set at Rs 15 crore. The retention slabs are as follows: Rs 3.5 crore for Player 1, Rs 2.5 crore for Player 2, Rs 1.75 crore for Player 3, and Rs 1 crore for Player 4. Retaining a fifth player will cost an additional Rs 50 lakh. Consequently, a franchise that retains five players will see Rs 9.25 crore deducted from its purse, while retaining fewer players frees up more funds, Rs 8.75 crore for four, Rs 7.75 crore for three, Rs 6 crore for two, and Rs 3.5 crore for one retained player.
Franchises are required to submit their final retention lists by November 5, with player registrations closing on November 18.
The upcoming WPL 2026 auction is expected to ignite intense bidding for marquee overseas players, rising Indian domestic talent, and standout performers from the World Cup. Teams like Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, who have shown promise but lacked consistency, could use this mega auction to rebuild their balance and strengthen key departments. Meanwhile, the champions, Mumbai Indians, will aim to protect their winning core, even as Harmanpreet Kaur’s leadership continues to inspire a generation of players.
As the spotlight turns to New Delhi later this month, the WPL once again stands as the heartbeat of women’s franchise cricket. With the new RTM twist, tightened retention policies, and a wave of post-World Cup enthusiasm, the 2026 edition promises to be the most competitive yet, a reflection of how far women’s cricket in India has come in just a few exhilarating years.
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