WPL mega-auction 2026 on 27 November in Delhi:277 players to go under the hammer for bidding; UP Warriorz hold highest purse with ₹14.50 crore

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is set for its biggest moment of the year as the mega auction for the fourth season will take place on November 27 in New Delhi. The auction will begin at 3:30 PM and promises intense competition among teams as they look to rebuild their squads. A total of 277 players from India and abroad will be up for auction, but there are only 73 vacant spots available. With big names, strong competition and limited slots, teams will have to spend wisely. The UP Warriors enter the auction with the largest purse, while the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore will have to manage with tighter budgets. Fans can expect excitement, surprises and possibly record-breaking bids as the WPL continues to grow in popularity. All you need to know about WPL mega-auction 2026 1. Who is organising the auction? The WPL mega auction will be conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI manages both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women’s Premier League. The auction will take place at a hotel in Aerocity, New Delhi, starting at 3:30 PM on November 27. 2. How many players will be auctioned? BCCI has shortlisted 277 players, including 194 Indian players and 66 foreign players. Out of these, 159 are uncapped players who have not played international cricket yet. However, only 73 players can be bought, as that is the total number of vacancies across all five teams. This includes space for 50 Indian and 23 overseas players. 3. Where can you watch the auction? The WPL auction will be broadcast live on Star Sports, while OTT viewers can watch on JioHotstar. Updates will also be available on the Dainik Bhaskar app. 4. How much purse is remaining with the 5 teams? Every team started with a purse of ₹15 crore. After player retention, the remaining purse amounts are: UP Warriors: ₹14.50 crore Gujarat Giants: ₹9 crore MI, DC, RCB: Less than ₹6.50 crore each UP has the biggest advantage with the most money to spend at the auction. 5. Which players were retained? A total of 17 players were retained across the five teams, including 7 overseas and 3 uncapped players. India’s top stars like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Amanjot Kaur, and Shreyanka Patil have all been retained. Except for Shreyanka, the others were part of India’s ODI World Cup-winning squad. 6. Was there any limit for retention? Yes, each team could retain up to 5 players. Two teams used all five, while the remaining three retained fewer players. This allows them to use Right to Match (RTM) cards during the auction. RCB: 1 RTM Gujarat: 3 RTMs UP Warriors: 4 RTMs RTM cards allow teams to bring back released players by matching the highest bid from another team. 7. Which team has the most vacant spots? UP Warriors have the most vacant spots because they retained only one uncapped player. MI and DC retained five each, RCB kept four and Gujarat retained two. Overall, there are 73 empty slots available across all teams. 8. Which players will be bid on first? The auction begins with the marquee set, which includes the most in-demand players. After that come international batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, pacers, spinners and finally uncapped players. 9. What is the base price of players? The marquee set features stars like Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Ecclestone, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Laura Wolvaardt, Deepti Sharma, and Renuka Singh. 6 players have a base price of ₹50 lakh Renuka is priced at ₹40 lakh Wolvaardt is priced at ₹30 lakh In total, 19 players are listed at ₹50 lakh, 11 players at ₹40 lakh, and 88 players at ₹30 lakh. The rest fall in the ₹10–20 lakh range. 10. Who could be the most expensive buys? Expected top Indian buys include Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, and Sri Charani. Among overseas players, Alyssa Healy, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Ecclestone, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, and Grace Harris are likely to attract big bids.