Preparations for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 are in full swing, and this year’s retention list is generating considerable discussion.
While some star players have been retained by teams, several prominent names have been shown the door.
Let’s find out which teams have announced their player retentions for WPL 2026.
WPL 2026 Retention List
| WPL Team | Retention Players |
|---|---|
| MI (Mumbai Indians) | Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini, Hayley Matthews |
| RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) | Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil |
| DC (Delhi Capitals) | Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad |
| GG (Gujarat Giants) | Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney |
| UPW (UP Warriorz) | Shweta Sehrawat |
Mumbai Indians (MI)
WPL 2025 champions Mumbai Indians have retained their strong player group this time around.
The team has retained 5 players, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur leading the way.
Along with Harmanpreet, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, and Hayley Matthews have also been retained.
Mumbai’s retention clearly indicates that the team is not looking to change its core. Hayley Matthews’ all-round performance has also been a strength for the team.
MI now has a remaining purse of ₹5.75 crore, which will be used to complete the rest of its squad.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
RCB has retained 4 players this season, and this includes captain Smriti Mandhana and Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry. Richa Ghosh and Shreyanka Patil have also been retained.
RCB has expressed confidence in its batting order and experience.
The pair of Smriti and Perry have proven to be a run machine for the team, while Richa Ghosh’s aggressive shots add life to the middle order.
The team now has a remaining purse of ₹6.15 crore and One Right to Match (RTM) card, allowing them to recall any of their old players from the auction.
Delhi Capitals (DC)
Delhi Capitals have retained 5 players, but the biggest blow was the release of Meg Lanning.
The team performed well under her captaincy last season, but this time Delhi has placed more faith in Indian players.
The team has retained Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, and Niki Prasad.
All these players are part of Delhi’s core group, and the team’s clear intention is to strike a balance between youth and experience.
Delhi now has a remaining purse of ₹5.75 crore, which will be used to complete the rest of its squad.
Gujarat Giants (GG)
Gujarat Giants have retained only 2 players this season, including Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney.
The team has released the remaining players, indicating that they are preparing to build a completely new team for the 2026 auction.
Both Gardner and Mooney are world-class players and are considered the backbone of Gujarat’s batting and all-round capabilities.
The team now has a purse of ₹9 crore and three RTM cards (which can only be used for Indian players). This means that Gujarat can make big moves in the auction this time.
UP Warriors (UPW)
UP Warriors surprised everyone by retaining only one player, Shweta Sehrawat. All other big names, including Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy, and Amelia Kerr, have been released.
Shweta Sehrawat is a young and emerging batsman in the team who had some good performances last season. The Warriors now seem to be planning to build a completely new team.
They have the largest purse of ₹14.5 crore and four RTM cards, which puts them in a strong position in the auction.
Which big names were released in the WPL?
This time, some names have been released without whom the WPL season would seem incomplete.
Australia’s Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr, and India’s Deepti Sharma have been released by the teams.
Deepti Sharma’s name is most discussed because she captained the UP Warriors last season and was also the “Player of the Series” in the World Cup.
Now it remains to be seen which team bids for these players in the auction.
WPL 2026 Retention Rules & Purse Details
This year, for the first time, the WPL has introduced the “Right to Match” card, which allows a team to recall its former player from the auction.
Additionally, each team will have to form a squad of 16 to 18 players.
Each team in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 has been allocated a purse of ₹15 crore. If a team retains five players, ₹9.25 crore is deducted.
₹8.75 crore is deducted for four players, ₹7.75 crore for three, ₹6 crore for two, and ₹3.5 crore for one player.
WPL 2026 Auction Date, Venue & More
The WPL 2026 mega auction will be held in Delhi on November 27, 2025.
All teams are now eyeing this date, as many big names like Healy, Lanning, Deepti, and Kerr will now be included in the auction pool.
The WPL 2026 season is set to be more exciting than any previous season. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have retained their core players, providing stability.
Meanwhile, UP Warriors and Gujarat Giants will enter the auction with a completely new strategy.
Each team is looking to improve its balance, and the new “Right to Match” rule will be a major attraction this time around.
All eyes are now on the November 27 auction, where the future of women’s cricket will be decided.
FAQ
Q1. How many players can a team retain in WPL 2026?
Each team can retain a maximum of 5 players. This includes a maximum of 3 capped Indians, 2 overseas players, and 2 uncapped Indians. If a team retains 5 players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian.
Q2. What is the Right to Match (RTM) card and how will it be used?
The Right to Match card allows teams to buy back a player from a previous season at auction. Each team will have a different number of RTM cards, and for some teams, they will only apply to Indian players.
Q3. When and where will the WPL 2026 auction take place?
The WPL 2026 mega auction will be held in Delhi on November 27, 2025.
