5 retentions planned by each team before the mega auction

The Women’s Premier League will hold its mega auction next month ahead of Season 4. After 3 seasons, the WPL is heading towards a reset with major changes to the order. The WPL 2026 auction would take place from November 26 to 27 in New Delhi. As in the IPL, each team will be allowed a maximum of 5 retentions.

The WPL auction will see the franchises have a total purse of Rs 15 crore. Franchises have been asked to submit their retention list by November 5. The first retention of the team will cost the franchise Rs 3.5 crore while the fifth and final retention will cost Rs 50 lakh. The 5 retentions include RTM cards. The higher the number of retentions, the fewer RTM options teams will have. Each team is allowed to keep three selected Indian players and no more than two foreign stars. Each team can retain a maximum of two uncapped players.

Here at Insidesport.IN, we take a look at the predicted retentions for each WPL franchise ahead of the mega auctions:

Mumbai Indians

Two-time champions Mumbai Indians stand to lose the most in this mega auction. The franchises have a stacked roster that will likely attract interest from rival franchises for the mega auction. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is the most certain retention, having led the team to two title victories.

Nat Sciver-Brunt And Hayley Matthews are probably their detentions abroad. Sciver-Brunt averages 46.68 with the bat and has 32 wickets in 29 matches in the WPL. She is the leading points scorer in tournament history, with Matthews fifth on that list. West Indies lead the table for most wickets, with Brunt at 5th. Retaining the two best all-around players in league history should be easy.

With a cap of two overseas retentions, Amelia Kerr will head to the auction table. Amanjot Kaur, Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia and Saika Ishaque are among the contenders to make the cut. The two-time champions will aim to retain most of their talents and build around them in the WPL auction.

Anticipated MI detentions: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Yastika Bhatia/Saika Ishaque

Royal Challengers Bangalore

The only other franchise to win the WPL title. Captain Smriti Mandhana will be the first choice for retention and hopes to carry his current form into the new season. Ellyse Perry is the other obvious choice, given his ability to win games. The Australian is the second highest run-getter in the history of the tournament and has also contributed with 14 wickets.

Wicket Tower Richa Ghosh should find a retention slot. She remains a vital lower cog for RCB and her hitting ability makes her a rare breed in Indian cricket. it could be a battle between Shreyanka Patil and Sneh Rana for one place. Patil is an RCB fan and has performed admirably, just like Rana since joining the franchise. Rana’s ability with the bat makes him a better retention asset than the young leg-spinner. Another potential retention could be Renuka Singh Thakur, despite its difficulties last year.

Retentions planned by RCB: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Georgia Wareham/Renuka Singh

Delhi Capitals

Three finals in three seasons only to find yourself on the wrong side of the result every year. The mega auction offers Delhi a chance to mingle and regain some luck. Meg Lanning And Shafali Verma constitute the most successful opening combination of the tournament and will probably be retained. The duo finds themselves 3rd and 4th in the list of best run-getters. Marizanne Kapp is expected to land the other overseas spot, having contributed all of her efforts.

It then becomes trickier for Delhi. Rodrogus votes is a coveted option, but struggled to get going last year. Shikha Pandey has been a mainstay throughout 3 seasons, while Arundhati Reddy, Shree Charani and Radha Yadav are all among the options.

Anticipated detentions for DC: Meg Lang Langning, Marizanne to Shaf, Verma Vema, Jemili Rodrigus, Shikah Padeey / Indepage Reddy

UP Warriorz

UP Warriorz will host the mega auction with a chance to reset their WPL course. The franchise has struggled for three seasons with major chinks in its armor. Nonetheless, Warriorz boasts of quality talent that they might want to keep.

Captain Deepti Sharma is India’s premier all-rounder and is sure to stay with the franchise. Alyssa Healy’s future with the franchise remains uncertain given her unavailability over the past two seasons. If she stays fit and available, she will certainly be retained. If Healy doesn’t make the cut, there’s an argument for Grace Harris or Tahlia McGrath to take that spot. Sophie Ecclestone is also set to make the cut, given that she is the No. 1 ranked bowler in the world. The emergence of Kranti Goud was a highlight for the team, while they could continue to persist with Shweta Sehrawat.

Anticipated UPW detentions: Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy/Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Ecclestone, Kranti Goud

Giants of Gujarat

Like UP Warriorz, the WPL auction offers Gujarat a chance to get it right. Australian duo Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner as set-in-stone retentions for the Ahmedabad franchise. An argument could be made for GG to opt for just two retentions to maximize its auction options. Other potential retentions could include Harleen Doel, Kashvee Gautam and Bharti Fulmali.

Anticipated detentions GG: Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Kashvee Gautam, Bharti Fulmali/Harleen Deol