WPL franchises to undergo major overhaul at mega auction

The five franchises in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) are set for a revamp, with the BCCI planning a mega auction for the 2026 season. The  franchises have been informed informally about the auction, which is likely to be held by the end of November.

Teams are awaiting official confirmation from the WPL regarding the number of player retention, the auction purse, retention slabs, and the number of right-to-match (RTM) cards available. As per an ESPNcricinfo report, these decisions will be finalised by the WPL committee, although the date for the meeting has not yet been announced.

The dates for the 2026 edition of the WPL are also yet to be confirmed, although the BCCI has previously indicated that the tournament would take place in the January-February window. The five-team WPL, launched in 2023, saw Mumbai Indians emerge as the inaugural champions, followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning the title in 2024. 

It is understood that three franchises, Mumbai Indians, RCB, and Delhi Capitals, all losing finalists in each of the three WPL seasons so far, were not in favour of a mega auction. These teams reportedly argued that dismantling their squads would be counterproductive after putting effort into building them.

On the other hand, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz support the mega auction. Both teams have yet to reach a final and see the auction as an opportunity to overhaul and rebuild their squads. A WPL official noted that while they understood the reservations of the three opposing franchises, it was important to have five competitive teams, as an imbalance could harm the league’s brand.

The official also highlighted that franchises like RCB have demonstrated, in the IPL, that they can establish a strong brand identity independent of retained players, though the presence of Indian star Virat Kohli has been leveraged effectively. At the same time, the WPL plans to ensure that teams retain the opportunity to keep their core players.

Reports suggest some teams favoured retaining six or seven players, but the WPL may lean toward allowing five retention. The retention formula will also determine how many RTM cards each team can exercise and the combination of capped and uncapped players.

In the IPL mega auction of 2025, each of the 10 franchises was allowed a maximum of six retention via a combination of direct retention and RTM. This comprised up to five capped players (Indian or overseas) and up to two uncapped Indian players. The RTM option allows a franchise to buy back a player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another team once bidding ends. Notably, the RTM rule has never been used in WPL auctions.

The WPL has been widely regarded as a game-changer in women’s cricket, particularly due to the financial benefits it provides players. In 2023, Viacom18 acquired the WPL broadcast rights for INR 951 crore for the 2023–2027 period, with a per-match value of INR 7.09 crore. Indian star batter Smriti Mandhana, the first player to be bought in the inaugural 2023 WPL auction, remains the most expensive buy at INR 3.2 crore.