WPL 2026 Mega Auction in New Delhi – Full Cricket Auction Breakdown

The WPL 2026 mega auction is happening in New Delhi, and it’s not just another event on the cricket calendar – it’s a full reset button for women’s T20 cricket in India. For fans of cricket auction, this is the biggest women’s cricket business event of the year.

1. WPL 2026 Mega Auction in New Delhi – The Big Picture

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction is being held in New Delhi. Five franchises – Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz – will sit in the same room, raise their paddles, and fight for the best women’s T20 talent in the world.

For fans of cricket auction, this is the classic IPL-style moment in women’s cricket. It is called a mega auction because almost every squad is being rebuilt. Teams kept only a limited core and released many big names back into the player auction pool. That means new combinations, new strategies, and a completely fresh look to WPL 2026.

New Delhi becomes the centre of cricket business and drama for one day. Team owners, coaches, analysts and scouts will sit with laptops and thick files, tracking every bid, every base price and every move – exactly the kind of thing that inspires local organisers to run their own professional cricket auction for local leagues.

2. What Makes This WPL Mega Auction Special?

This is not a small top-up auction. It is a full-scale cricket auction with:

Around 276–277 players in the auction pool
73 total slots available across five teams
A mix of Indian stars, overseas pros, uncapped talent and associate players

The overall purse for each team is ₹15 crore. The amount left after retentions is what they bring into the room for the mega auction. UP Warriorz, for example, have gone for a near-complete reset and enter the auction with the biggest purse of ₹14.5 crore and four RTM cards, giving them massive flexibility.

This combination – big purse, many open slots, and a huge player list – is what makes the WPL 2026 mega auction in New Delhi so exciting for every cricket auction lover.

3. Date, Venue and How Fans Can Watch

The WPL 2026 mega auction is scheduled in New Delhi. Broadcasters and digital platforms are treating it like a full-scale live show, with experts on the desk, live player graphics and instant analysis of every buy.

For fans across India and worldwide, it is promoted as a “WPL auction live” event, with:

Live TV coverage on major sports channels
Live streaming on digital platforms and apps
Real-time tickers for sold, unsold, purse remaining, and slots left

Just like the IPL auction, it’s not just about who gets picked – it’s also about the stories behind each bid, the surprise moves, and the emotional reactions of players and fans.

4. The Auction Pool – 276+ Players Chasing 73 Slots

The cricket auction player pool for WPL 2026 is crowded and competitive:

Approx. 276–277 players listed for the auction
194 Indian players and around 83 overseas players
Representation from Associate nations as well
A big chunk of uncapped Indian players hoping for their first big contract

With only 73 slots available across five teams, not even one-third of the players will find a home. That makes it a high-pressure cricket auction for both players and franchises. Teams have to balance:

Star power vs budget
Overseas strength vs Indian depth
Immediate impact vs long-term potential

For uncapped players, especially from domestic circuits like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Railways and Mumbai, this cricket auction is a life-changing moment. Several reports highlight double-digit representation from states like MP and UP, adding a strong grassroots flavour to the WPL 2026 mega auction.

5. How the Retention and RTM Rules Shaped This Auction

Before the cricket auction comes the retention window. WPL rules allowed franchises to retain or buy back up to five players, including combinations of capped Indians, overseas stars and uncapped Indians. At least one retained player had to be an uncapped Indian if the team went up to five.

Key points of the WPL 2026 retention system:

Each team originally had a ₹15 crore purse.
The value of retained players is deducted from this purse.
Teams that retained fewer players:
- Have more purse left
- Also got more RTM (Right to Match) cards for the auction

The RTM card lets a franchise match the final winning bid for a player who previously played for them. It’s a powerful weapon in any cricket auction because it allows a team to sit quietly, let others fight, and then steal the player back at the last second.

The boldest move came from UP Warriorz, who retained only Shweta Sehrawat and released big names like Deepti Sharma and Alyssa Healy. This gave them:

The largest remaining purse: ₹14.5 crore
A rare advantage of four RTM cards

That one decision has completely changed the strategy template for this WPL mega auction.

6. Team-by-Team Purse and Auction Strategy

According to official WPL auction data, the purse remaining ahead of the New Delhi cricket auction looks something like this:

UP Warriorz – ₹14.5 crore (almost full purse, major rebuild coming)
Gujarat Giants – ₹9 crore (good space to reshape overseas core)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – ₹6.15 crore
Mumbai Indians – ₹5.75 crore
Delhi Capitals – ₹5.70 crore

UP Warriorz – The Big Spenders

With almost the entire ₹15 crore purse still in hand, UP Warriorz are expected to be the most aggressive team in this cricket auction. They can chase multiple marquee names and still have room to stack their bench with quality uncapped players.

Gujarat Giants – Resetting Overseas Firepower

Gujarat Giants have kept a tight overseas core, retaining stars like Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner, while releasing Laura Wolvaardt, one of the form players in world cricket. With ₹9 crore in the bank, they are well-positioned to rebuild their bowling and all-round options.

Mumbai Indians & Delhi Capitals – Low Purse, High Brain Power

Both Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) enter the New Delhi auction with the lowest remaining purse, around ₹5.7–5.75 crore, but they already have strong cores.

Mumbai Indians have retained match-winners like Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt, plus youngsters such as G Kamalini. Delhi Capitals have a solid group around Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp and Annabel Sutherland.

With limited cash, these two teams will rely heavily on data, scouting and timing – classic cricket auction skills.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Building Around Smriti

RCB have reportedly retained Smriti Mandhana on a top contract and continue to build around her leadership and batting. Their ₹6.15 crore purse gives them enough space to plug key gaps while protecting a strong core from previous seasons.

7. The Marquee Set – Superstars of the Cricket Auction

At every big cricket auction, there is a marquee set – the first group of players that sets the tone.

For the WPL 2026 mega auction in New Delhi, the marquee set includes:

Deepti Sharma (India)
Alyssa Healy (Australia)
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
Sophie Ecclestone (England)
Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
Meg Lanning (Australia)
Renuka Singh (India)

Base prices (reserve prices) for this marquee group:

Renuka Singh – ₹40 lakh
Laura Wolvaardt – ₹30 lakh
All the others in this marquee set – ₹50 lakh

The first few overs of a T20 chase can decide the match; in the same way, the first few names in the marquee set can decide how the entire cricket auction flows. If teams spend big early, they’ll have to tighten later. If they hold back, a later bidding war might explode over a single player.

8. Big Storylines: Injuries, Releases and Shock Decisions

No mega auction is complete without dramatic storylines.

Jess Jonassen’s Late Withdrawal

One of the biggest headlines before this WPL 2026 cricket auction was the withdrawal of Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen due to a long-running shoulder injury. She has been a proven match-winner for Delhi Capitals across the first three WPL seasons, contributing with both bat and ball, but will now miss this mega auction.

Her absence:

Reduces the overseas spin-bowling all-rounder options
Opens doors for other left-arm spinners and all-rounders
Forces teams like DC and GG to rethink their spin strategy

Big Names Back in the Pool

The retention list confirmed that several established stars have been released and are now back in the cricket auction:

Deepti Sharma and Alyssa Healy – released by UP Warriorz
Meg Lanning – released by Delhi Capitals after leading them to multiple finals
Sophie Devine, Laura Wolvaardt and others – also among the major exits from previous squads

This creates massive auction storylines:

Will UPW use their big purse to buy back Deepti or Healy with RTM?
Who goes hardest after Meg Lanning – a captain, anchor and big-game player?
Does Wolvaardt become one of the most expensive overseas batters in this cricket auction?

9. Domestic and Grassroots Angle – Why This Matters Beyond the WPL

The WPL 2026 mega auction in New Delhi is not only about star names. It is a showcase for domestic women’s cricket from across India.

There is strong representation from states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Railways and Delhi. For example:

Multiple players from UP are in the auction pool, including Deepti Sharma and several uncapped talents.
Many players from Madhya Pradesh have made the list, including capped players and promising uncapped all-rounders.

This is exactly how a cricket auction can fuel the grassroots system:

Young players see real money and recognition in women’s cricket.
State associations and academies increase their focus on fitness, skill and match exposure.
More families start supporting girls in cricket, seeing WPL as a genuine career path.

For organisers of local box cricket, corporate tournaments or tennis-ball leagues, the WPL auction is a live masterclass in how to use cricket auction systems to drive excitement and opportunity.

10. What Local Organisers Can Learn from the WPL 2026 Mega Auction

If you run or plan to run your own local cricket auction – for a gully league, turf league or corporate tournament – the WPL 2026 mega auction gives you a perfect learning template.

Here are some key lessons you can apply using a professional cricket auction app like CricAuction:

1. Structured Player Pool

WPL divides players into sets (batters, bowlers, all-rounders, wicket-keepers) and assigns base prices. For your local cricket auction:

Create proper player categories
Decide base price slabs based on skill and past performance
Upload all details in your cricket auction software so the auction runs smoothly

2. Clear Purse and Slot Rules

Each WPL team has:

A fixed purse limit (₹15 crore)
A fixed squad size (minimum and maximum players)
A limit on overseas slots and RTM cards

For local tournaments, you can:

Set a virtual purse (for example, 50 or 100 credits)
Limit squad size and role combinations
Use simple rules like “max 2–3 platinum players per team”

3. Data-Driven Bidding

WPL franchises rely on player stats, fitness reports and recent performance in international and domestic cricket. With a cricket auction app, you can:

Show runs, wickets, strike rate, economy, etc. for each player
Use filters and sorting to help captains and owners find their targets
Maintain complete auction history for next season

4. Live, Transparent Experience

A big reason people love the WPL cricket auction is the transparency:

Everyone can see who bought whom, at what price
The remaining purse and remaining slots are visible in real time

With a digital auction tool:

You can project the live auction screen on a big display
Show team balance, sold/unsold players, purse left
Stream it on YouTube or social media to grow your tournament brand

11. Why the WPL 2026 Mega Auction in New Delhi Is a Landmark Moment

The WPL 2026 mega auction is more than just paddles and price tags:

It shows that women’s cricket has reached a stage where a full mega auction is a prime TV and digital event.
It proves that cricket auction culture is not limited to men’s IPL; it is now fully a part of women’s franchise cricket.
It creates a strong example for local organisers, who can copy the same style using simple tools and apps.

For players, this New Delhi cricket auction is about value, opportunity and recognition. For franchises, it’s about strategy, balance and long-term planning. For fans, it’s about entertainment, drama and endless debate: who overspent, who got a bargain, who built the best squad.

And for platforms like CricAuction, it’s a golden reference – proof that smart, data-driven player auction systems are the future of cricket at every level.

12. Final Word

As the auctioneer’s hammer goes up in New Delhi, the WPL 2026 mega auction will decide:

Which team looks strongest on paper
Which uncapped players get their dream deals
How the story of the Women’s Premier League 2026 will begin

If you are a cricket organiser, team owner, or serious fan, this is the perfect time to:

Watch how the biggest women’s cricket auction is run
Learn the patterns, the strategies, the pacing of bids
Bring the same professional style into your own cricket auction, powered by the right tools and planning

Because in modern cricket, auctions are not just about buying players – they are about building stories, fanbases and futures.