Deepti Sharma gets highest bid in WPL 2026 auction; Shikha Pandey, Amelia Kerr also in top bracket

New Delhi [India], November 27 (ANI): Star Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma got the highest bid in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction, while other ODI World Cup standouts, Shree Charani and South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt, were also in the top bracket.

Deepti, who won the Player of the Tournament in the Women's World Cup 2025, was picked up by UP Warriorz - using the Right to Match (RTM) card. She was bought for a whopping Rs 3.20 crore, making her the second-highest-paid Indian women's player in WPL history after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana.

Sophie Devine, who missed WPL 2025 due to personal reasons, was bought by the Gujarat Giants (GG) for Rs 2 crore.

Mumbai Indians (MI) bought New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr for Rs 3 crore. Kerr became the second-most expensive player in this auction. The 25-year-old was part of MI's title-winning runs in the 2023 and 2025 WPL editions.

The biggest shock at the WPL 2026 came as big-hitting Australia captain Alyssa Healy was unsold after she found no takers. Her teammate Alana King, who picked up a record-breaking seven-wicket haul in the recently concluded 50-over World Cup which ended up being the best ever figures of Women's WC history, also went unsold.

Indian speedster Renuka Singh will join the Gujarat Giants for Rs 60 lakh. Renuka had earlier played for the one-time WPL champion RCB.

UP Warriorz bought England star spinner Sophie Ecclestone for Rs 85 Lakh. Warriorz used their RTM to retain their star player. Australian legend Meg Lanning, who previously played for Delhi Capitals, was sold to UP Warriorz for Rs 1.9 crore.

Delhi Capitals outbid Royal Challengers Bengaluru to pick South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt for Rs 1.10 crore. They also add West Indian batter Chinelle Henry (Rs 1.30 crore), while also picking India all-rounder Sneh Rana for Rs 50 lakh in the auction.

The Warriorz were the busiest franchise in this auction. Apart from Deepti, Lanning, and Ecclestone, they exercised the RTM card to bring back young Indian seamer Kranti Gaud (Rs 50 lakh).

They further strengthened their squad by signing Asha Shobhana for Rs 1.10 crore and Harleen Deol for her base price of Rs 50 lakh. UPW also added Australia star hitter Phoebe Litchfield for Rs 1.20 crore and Indian opener Pratika Rawal for Rs 50 lakh.

UPW also shelled out Rs 2.40 crore for the veteran India all-rounder Shikha Pandey. She became the third-most expensive player at the WPL 2026 auction.

Shree Charani, who was part of India's World Cup-winning campaign, was purchased by the Capitals for a hefty Rs 1.3 crore. After Charani, Delhi hired Sneh Rana for Rs 50 lakh.

Indian all-rounder Radha Yadav will be part of Smriti Mandhana's RCB during the WPL 2026 season. The World Cup winner was bought for Rs 65 lakh at auction. World Cup winner Arundhati Reddy joined the Bengaluru-based franchise for Rs 75 lakh.

England's Heather Knight, Alice Capsey, NZ's T20 WC winning veteran Lea Tahuhu, English gloveswoman Amy Jones, Uma Chetry, South African opener Tanzim Brits, and S Meghana were among the notable names who went unsold at auction.

WPL 2026 squads:

Mumbai Indians: Nat Sciver-Brunt (Retained 3.5 Cr), Harmanpreet Kaur (Retained 2.5 Cr), Hayley Mathews (Retained 1.75 Cr), Amanjot Kaur (Retained 1 Cr), G Kamalini (Retained 50 Lakh), Amelia Kerr (3 Cr), Shabnim Ismail (60 Lakh), Sanskriti Gupta (20 Lakh), Sajeevan Sajana (75 Lakh), Rahila Firdous (10 Lakh), Nicola Carey (30 Lakh), Poonam Khemnar (10 Lakh), Triveni Vasistha (20 Lakh), Nalla Reddy (10 Lakh), Saika Ishaque (30 Lakh), Milly Illingworth (10 Lakh)

Delhi Capitals: Jemimah Rodrigues (Retained 2.2 Cr), Shafali Verma (Retained 2.2 Cr), Annabel Sutherland (Retained 2.2 Cr), Marizanne Kapp (Retained 2.2 Cr), Niki Prasad (Retained 50 Lakh), Laura Wolvaardt (1.1 Cr), Chinelle Henry (1.3 Cr), Sree Charani (1.3 Cr), Sneh Rana (50 Lakh), Lizelee Lee (30 Lakh), Deeya Yadav (10 Lakh), Taniyaa Bhatia (30 Lakh), Mamatha Madiwala (10 Lakh), Nandani Sharma (20 Lakh), Lucy Hamilton (10 Lakh), Minnu Mani (40 Lakh)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (Retained 3.5 Cr), Richa Ghosh (Retained 2.75 Cr), Ellyse Perry (Retained 2 Cr), Shreyanka Patil (Retained 60 Lakh), Georgia Voll (60 Lakh), Nadine de Klerk (65 Lakh), Radha Yadav (65 Lakh), Lauren Bell (90 Lakh), Linsey Smith (30 Lakh), Prema Rawat (RTM 20 Lakh), Arundathi Reddy (75 Lakh), Pooja Vastrakar (85 Lakh), Grace Harris (75 Lakh), Gautami Naik (10 Lakh), Prathyoosha Kumar (10 Lakh), D Hemalatha (30 Lakh)

Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner (Retained 3.5 Cr), Beth Mooney (Retained 2.5 Cr), Sophie Devine (2 Cr), Renuka Singh (60 Lakh), Bharti Fulmali (RTM 70 Lakh), Titas Sadhu (30 Lakh), Kashvee Gautam (RTM 65 Lakh), Kanika Ahuja (30 Lakh), Tanuja Kanwar (45 Lakh), Georgia Wareham (1 Cr), Anushka Sharma (45 Lakh), Happy Kumari (10 Lakh), Kim Garth (50 Lakh), Yastika Bhatia (50 Lakh), Shivani Singh (10 Lakh), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (50 Lakh), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (40 Lakh), Ayushi Soni (30 Lakh)

UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat (Retained 50 Lakh), Deepti Sharma (RTM 3.2 Cr), Sophie Ecclestone (RTM 85 Lakh), Meg Lanning (1.9 Cr), Phoebe Litchfield (1.2 Cr), Kiran Navgire (RTM 60 Lakh), Harleen Deol (50 Lakh), Kranti Goud (RTM 50 Lakh), Asha Sobhana (1.1 Crore), Deandra Dottin (80 Lakh), Shikha Pandey (2.4 Crore), Shipra Giri (10 Lakh), Simran Shaikh (10 Lakh), Tara Norris (10 Lakh), Chloe Tryon (30 Lakh), Suman Meena (10 Lakh), G Trisha (10 Lakh), Pratika Rawal (50 Lakh). (ANI)

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