Last Updated: January 10, 2026 04:43 PM
Asha Sobhana made history at the WPL 2026 auction in spectacular fashion. The Indian leg-spinner became the first Malayali woman cricketer to cross one crore. Three franchises fought hard to sign her during the intense bidding war.
Her base amount started quite low compared to where things ended up. Delhi Capitals kicked off the bidding early in the auction process. Royal Challengers Bengaluru also jumped in because they knew her skills well.
Her WPL Price Journey
UP Warriorz grabbed Asha Sobhana for Rs 1.1 crore after aggressive bidding. Her starting price was just Rs 30 lakh at the auction. That’s a massive jump showing how much franchises valued her leg-spin bowling.
The WPL salary escalated rapidly as three teams desperately wanted her services. Delhi Capitals and RCB pushed the bidding higher with each round. UP Warriorz eventually won by matching every bid thrown at them.
Asha Sobhana’s salary reflects her incredible 2024 WPL performances for RCB brilliantly. She missed the 2025 season due to injury which worried some people. But franchises remembered her 12 wickets from the 2024 season very clearly still.
UP Warriorz WPL Team Addition
Asha Sobhana joins the UP Warriorz WPL team for the 2026 campaign. The franchise needed a quality leg-spinner who could control the middle overs effectively. Her economy rate of 7.11 in 2024 impressed everyone watching back then.
She took a five-wicket haul against UP Warriorz ironically in the 2024 season. Those figures of 5-22 made her the first Indian woman to achieve this. The WPL team she demolished now becomes her new home for next season.
UP Warriorz built a strong bowling attack by adding experienced spinners like her. The franchise values bowlers who can turn matches around single-handedly when needed. Asha fits that description perfectly based on past WPL performances shown.
Late Bloomer’s Inspiring Journey
Asha Sobhana made her international debut at 33 years and 51 days. That made her the oldest Indian woman cricketer to debut ever recorded. Her story inspires players who think they’ve missed their chance completely.
She proved that age doesn’t matter if you have talent and determination together. The WPL gives her another platform to shine against international stars. From late debut to crore-plus contracts shows dreams can come true anytime.
