WPL 2026 auction rules
Each cricket team will be allowed to build a squad of up to 18 players. In all, 73 slots – including 23 overseas spots – are available to be filled across the five teams.
For the first time, the WPL auction rules allow the franchises the use up to five Right to Match (RTM) options, depending on the number of retentions, to buy back a player who was part of their squad in 2025
Teams that retained fewer players will have more RTM options and a larger purse going into the mega auction.
UP Warriorz will enter the auction with the most rebuilding to do, having retained just one player – the uncapped Shweta Sehrawat through Women’s Premier League retentions. They will have the largest purse, along with four RTM options available.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians, led by Indian cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals, who kept Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues in the side, have retained five players. At the mega auction, they will have no RTM options available.
All teams will have a combined purse of INR 41.1 crore to spend at the 2026 WPL auction.
Over the three previous auctions held so far, the WPL has seen a handful of players attract some staggering bids.
Smriti Mandhana currently holds the tag of the most expensive player in WPL history after Royal Challengers Bengaluru shelled out INR 3.4 crore for the Indian batter at the WPL 2023 mega auction.
Mandhana, who led the team to the title in the 2024 WPL season, is one of the four players retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the WPL 2026 auction.
Where to watch WPL 2026 auction live in India
Live streaming of the Women’s Premier League 2026 auction will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in India. The WPL 2026 auction will be telecast live on Star Sports Network TV channels in India.
