WPL 2026 probable retention list of all teams: Who is likely to get retained? Who would be released?

The WPL mega auction is set for late November, with franchises required to finalize player retentions by November 5. .

The upcoming WPL mega auction isn’t just about fresh cheques, it is about deciding whose faces define the next cycle of the tournament. After India’s World Cup win and three chaotic, brilliant WPL seasons, the retention deadlines has suddenly become the real first ball of the 2026 season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore Women's (RCBW) Ellyse Perry and teammates celebrate a dismissal of Mumbai Indians Women (MIW) during their match in the Women's Premier League 2024 (WPL-X)

By 5 November 2025, all five franchises must tell the BCCI which pieces of their core they are ready to bet on again and which stars they are willing to throw back in the bidding war in New Delhi, expected between 26-29 November.

WPL 2026 retention rules and key dates

From BCCI’s guidelines, we have the following:

Retention deadline: 5 November 2025

Auction window: reportedly 26-29 November in New Delhi

Purse per team: ₹15 cr

Maximum retentions: 5 players

Retention rules:

• Up to 3 capped Indian players
• Up to 2 overseas players
• Up to 2 uncapped Indian players

RTM (Right-to-Match) is introduced for the first time - if you release a player, you can try to buy her back by matching the highest bid.

That means full 5-player retention = ₹9.25 cr left for the auction.

Now, let us take a look at the probable retentions for each WPL team.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

RCB finally cracked it in 2024, winning their maiden WPL title under Smriti Mandhana, then remained heavily dependent on Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, and Shreyanka Patil across 2024-25.

Player	Role	Category	Likely slab
Smriti Mandhana	Captain, top-order batter	Capped Indian	₹3.5 cr
Ellyse Perry	All-rounder	Overseas	₹2.5 cr
Richa Ghosh	WK–finisher	Capped Indian	₹1.75 cr
Shreyanka Patil	Off-spin all-rounder	Capped Indian	₹1.0 cr
Prema Rawat	Leg-spin all-rounder	Uncapped Indian	₹0.5 cr

Perry is RCB’s leading run-getter across seasons and a genuine two-skill player, while Richa gives them that rate thing: a destructive India keeper. Shreyanka Patil and big-money uncapped pick Prema Rawat future-proof the spin core.

Mumbai Indians

MI are already the most successful WPL team. They were the champions in 2023 and 2025. Their core trio of Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amelia Kerr has carried both runs and wickets, while teen sensation G Kamalini exploded into the league as the youngest debutant.

Player	Role	Category	Likely slab
Harmanpreet Kaur	Captain, middle-order batter	Capped Indian	₹3.5 cr
Nat Sciver-Brunt	All-rounder (seam)	Overseas	₹2.5 cr
Amelia Kerr	All-rounder (leg-spin)	Overseas	₹1.75 cr
Amanjot Kaur	Seam-bowling all-rounder	Capped Indian	₹1.0 cr
G Kamalini	Top-order WK-batter	Uncapped Indian	₹0.5 cr

This structure keeps two world-class overseas all-rounders plus Harman as the Indian face of the franchise, with Amanjot and Kamalini strengthening the domestic core. It does mean Hayley Matthews likely goes back into the auction, and MI will almost certainly try to buy her back hard.

Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals have the strangest CV in the league: top of the table for three years running, runners up three finals in a row. Their success is built on that terrifying top order of Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, and Jemimah Rodrigues, with Marizanne Kapp adding bite with ball and bat.

Player	Role	Category	Likely slab
Meg Lanning	Captain, top-order batter	Overseas	₹3.5 cr
Shafali Verma	Aggressive opener	Capped Indian	₹2.5 cr
Jemimah Rodrigues	Middle-order batter	Capped Indian	₹1.75 cr
Marizanne Kapp	Seam-bowling all-rounder	Overseas	₹1.0 cr
Niki Prasad	Batter/all-rounder	Uncapped Indian	₹0.5 cr

These retentions help the Delhi Capitals keep their core strong. This would mean that they will have to release players like Annabel Sutherland and Jess Jonassen; however, they will try to rebuild their team around the retained core and continue their success.

Gujarat Giants

After two wooden spoons, Gujarat stepped up in 2025 and reached the knockouts, powered by Ashleigh Gardner’s all-round performance and a more settled top order with Beth Mooney and Harleen Deol, plus left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar’s rise to India colours.

Player	Role	Category	Likely slab
Ashleigh Gardner	Captain, all-rounder	Overseas	₹3.5 cr
Beth Mooney	Top-order batter	Overseas	₹2.5 cr
Harleen Deol	Middle-order batter	Capped Indian	₹1.75 cr
Tanuja Kanwar	Left-arm orthodox bowler	Capped Indian	₹1.0 cr
Tarannum Pathan	Spin all-rounder	Uncapped Indian	₹0.5 cr

That gives the Giants a stable spine: two overseas batting engines, one Indian batter, and two Indian spin options. With only ₹5.75 cr left, they can chase one impact overseas pacer and a couple of Indian power-hitters at auction.

UP Warriroz

The UP Warriorz have underachieved relative to their talent, but three names still scream build around them: Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, and Grace Harris. Ecclestone remains the World’s most feared spinner, while Harris is their leading run-scorer in the league so far.

Player	Role	Category	Likely slab
Deepti Sharma	Captain, all-rounder	Capped Indian	₹3.5 cr
Sophie Ecclestone	Left-arm spin all-rounder	Overseas	₹2.5 cr
Grace Harris	Power-hitting all-rounder	Overseas	₹1.75 cr
Kranti Goud	Seam-bowling all-rounder	Capped Indian	₹1.0 cr
Vrinda Dinesh	Top-order batter	Uncapped Ind.	₹0.5 cr

There might be discussions around Harris; some think she might be released to free an overseas slot, but, given her match-winning ability and the lack of Indian power hitters in the side, she could be a valuable asset for the Warriorz.