The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction is set to shake up women’s cricket, as franchises were forced to make tough retention calls under the BCCI’s new retention rules. With each team allowed to retain a maximum of five players — only two overseas and three capped Indian players — several top stars have been released into the auction pool.
In total, the five franchises have retained 17 players, with only two teams opting to use all five retention slots. The remaining three have left significant room in their purses to rebuild at the Delhi auction later this month.
10 biggest players released before WPL 2026 mega auction
| Player | Type | Team | 2025 Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meg Lanning | Batter | Delhi Capitals | INR 1.10 crore |
| Deepti Sharma | All-rounder | UP Warriorz | INR 2.60 crore |
| Pooja Vastrakar | All-rounder | Mumbai Indians | INR 1.90 crore |
| Harleen Deol | Batter | Gujarat Giants | INR 40 lakh |
| Renuka Singh | Fast bowler | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | INR 1.50 crore |
| Sophie Ecclestone | All-rounder | UP Warriorz | INR 1.80 crore |
| Phoebe Litchfield | Batter | Gujarat Giants | INR 1.00 crore |
| Radha Yadav | Spinner | Delhi Capitals | INR 40 lakh |
| Amelia Kerr | All-rounder | Mumbai Indians | INR 1.00 crore |
| Sophie Devine | All-rounder | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | INR 50 lakh |
Big shocks in the release list
The most surprising name is Meg Lanning, the Australian legend who led Delhi Capitals to three consecutive WPL finals. Despite her leadership and consistency, DC opted to release her, likely due to the overseas player limit.
Another major headline is the release of Deepti Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone, two of the world’s top spinners. The UP Warriorz, who have chosen to retain only Shweta Sehrawat, seem to be heading into a major rebuild.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians made a surprising call by retaining Amanjot Kaur over Pooja Vastrakar, who has been out of action due to injury. Similarly, Royal Challengers Bengaluru decided to back Shreyanka Patil, the 2025 emerging player of the year, over their star pacer Renuka Singh Thakur.
With big names like Lanning, Deepti, and Ecclestone entering the auction pool, the WPL 2026 mega auction promises to be one of the most exciting player battles yet, as teams re-strategize to rebuild their cores ahead of the new season.
