All five Women’s Premier League franchises submitted their retention lists on September 28, 2026, ahead of a mini-auction scheduled for October 28 at Kochi’s Grand Hyatt, with defending dominance from Royal Challengers Bengaluru continuing to shape the league even as several established overseas names were surprisingly let go. RCB, who have reached three finals and won the title twice since the WPL launched in 2023, retained the core of their squad including Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Richa Ghosh — but released Grace Harris, a player widely described in Indian cricket media as a key contributor throughout the most recent season.
The Retention Landscape, Team By Team
Mumbai Indians, two-time champions, kept captain Harmanpreet Kaur alongside Nicola Carey, Sophie Ecclestone-style all-round depth in Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews and Amanjot Kaur, but moved on from wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones — a decision that surprised several commentators given Jones’ experience across multiple franchise leagues. UP Warriorz retained Deepti Sharma, Meg Lanning, Sophie Ecclestone and Harleen Deol, giving them arguably the most settled top order in the competition, while also releasing England international Danni Wyatt-Hodge, previously a fixture in their top order. Delhi Capitals held on to Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp and Laura Wolvaardt, and Gujarat Giants retained Sophie Devine, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner and Renuka Singh.
Why Three Established Overseas Players Were Cut
The releases of Harris, Wyatt-Hodge and Jones point to a broader trend across the retention cycle: franchises appear to be prioritising squad balance and emerging Indian talent over simply keeping every proven overseas name, particularly with limited purse space and a hard cap on retained players under WPL rules. Each of the three released players had multiple WPL seasons of experience, making their omission a talking point rather than a routine squad trim. For teams like Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz, freeing up an overseas slot ahead of the auction gives them room to bid for players who fit specific tactical gaps — an extra frontline seamer or a finisher — rather than simply re-signing on reputation.
The Money And The Slots
UP Warriorz enter the auction with the largest remaining purse at INR 3.65 crore and seven open slots, including two overseas berths, giving them the most auction-day flexibility of any franchise. Mumbai Indians also have seven slots to fill, though only one is reserved for an overseas player, with INR 1 crore in hand. Gujarat Giants have the fewest gaps to fill, needing just three players including one overseas signing, backed by a purse of INR 1.25 crore. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (five slots, two overseas, INR 1.15 crore) and Delhi Capitals (five slots, one overseas, INR 1.10 crore) sit in between, with a combined 27 slots open across the league — enough turnover that the makeup of at least two or three squads could look meaningfully different by the time the 2027 season begins.
Context: A League Still Finding Its Ceiling
The WPL has expanded rapidly since its 2023 launch, with this cycle’s mini-auction — the final one before a fresh full auction is expected in future seasons — set to be held in India for a second consecutive year at a marquee Kochi venue. RCB’s continued success, built around a core of Mandhana, Perry and homegrown all-rounder Shreyanka Patil, has given the league a template for how retention strategy translates into on-field results, but Mumbai Indians’ decision to keep Harmanpreet Kaur as captain while reshaping the rest of the roster suggests other franchises are willing to experiment rather than simply copy the champions’ formula.
Diverging Views On Strategy
Franchise insiders quoted in Indian cricket media have offered contrasting takes on the wave of overseas releases: some argue that letting go of proven all-format players like Harris and Wyatt-Hodge is a calculated bet that auction-day value will exceed retention cost, freeing money to fill a specific bowling or top-order need identified during the previous season. Others, more skeptical, have suggested that releasing established campaigners risks destabilising dressing-room continuity just as the WPL is trying to establish itself as a stable, marquee product for broadcasters and sponsors — arguing that dropping recognisable overseas names for unproven auction buys is a gamble not every franchise can afford to get wrong.
What’s Next
All eyes now turn to the October 28 auction in Kochi, where 27 slots will be filled across the five teams, followed by a WPL 2027 season that is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7. The released trio of Harris, Wyatt-Hodge and Jones are expected to feature prominently in auction-day bidding, alongside a pool of uncapped Indian domestic players hoping to break into WPL squads. For RCB, retaining their title-winning core keeps them favourites heading into the new season, but the willingness of rivals to reshuffle rosters suggests the chasing pack believes the gap can be closed at the auction table rather than through retention alone.
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