Key Players Set for Retention Ahead of Women's Premier League Auction

As the Women's Premier League (WPL) prepares for its upcoming auction, several star players are expected to be retained by their franchises. Key Indian cricketers like Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana are among those likely to stay with their teams. Meanwhile, notable Australian and New Zealand players may enter the auction pool after being released. The retention rules allow teams to keep a limited number of players, and the auction is set for November 27. This article delves into the retention strategies of various franchises and the financial implications for the upcoming season.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 6, 2025, 02:10 IST

Retention Plans for Women's Premier League

In New Delhi, on November 5, several prominent Indian cricketers, including World Cup champions Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma, are expected to be retained by their franchises for the upcoming Women's Premier League (WPL) season.

Australian players such as Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals), Alyssa Healy (UP Warriorz), and New Zealand's all-rounder Amelia Kerr (Mumbai Indians) are anticipated to enter the auction pool after being released by their teams, according to reports from a sports news outlet. Additionally, Deepti Sharma, who was named Player of the Tournament in the World Cup and captained UP Warriorz in Healy's absence, may also be let go by her franchise.

As per the latest updates, the defending champions, Mumbai Indians (MI), and Delhi Capitals (DC) have retained five players each, which is the maximum allowed under WPL regulations. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has kept four players, while Gujarat Giants (GG) has retained two, and UP Warriorz has only one retention.

The likely retained players include:

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

According to WPL retention guidelines, teams can keep a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped players. If a team wishes to retain five players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian.

For the first time, the WPL has introduced a right-to-match (RTM) option during the auction, allowing teams to reacquire players who were part of their roster in the previous season.

Each franchise has a budget of Rs 15 crores for the auction, which is set to take place on November 27 in the capital. The retention price 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, Rs 1 crore for Player 4, and Rs 50 lakh for Player 5.

If a team retains all five players, Rs 9.25 crores will be deducted from their auction budget. The deductions for retaining fewer players are Rs 8.75 crores for four, Rs 7.75 crores for three, Rs 6 crores for two, and Rs 3.5 crores for one.

In this scenario, DC and MI would have Rs 5.75 crores left to assemble their squads, which can include 16 to 18 players, without the option to use RTMs. Meanwhile, UP Warriorz, with only Shweta Sehrawat retained, will have the largest budget of Rs 14.5 crores and four RTMs. GG will have three RTMs limited to Indian players and a budget of Rs 9 crores, while RCB, the 2024 champions, will have one RTM and Rs 6.25 crores available.