Sophie Molineux’s bidding at the WPL 2027 auction turned into one of the most confusing ones of the day. The UP Warriorz outlasted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to secure the Australian all-rounder and current
national captain for ₹1.10 crore . Starting from her highest-tier base price of ₹50 lakh, the bidding escalated rapidly but during the bidding there was a slight error in the bidding price at a point but it did not impact.
UP Warriorz opened the account, but RCB which was Molineux’s former franchise from their 2024 title-winning campaign, jumped in aggressively. The price went to ₹95 lakh within a minute. UPW then pushed it to ₹1 crore, RCB countered at ₹1.05 crore, and the Warriorz closed the deal at ₹1.10 crore when RCB stepped aside.
RCB had entered the auction with only around ₹1.15 crore left in their purse, so the final jump forced them out. There was some minor bidding confusion during the quick-fire exchanges around increment steps (the classic auction room mix-up of 5 lakh versus 10 lakh jumps that sometimes happens). Nothing derailed the process officially, though, as the final hammer price stood cleanly at ₹1.10 crore and Molineux headed to Lucknow.
Sophie Molineux becomes most expensive buy at WPL mini auction
Sophie Molineux’s WPL resume is short but impactful. In the 2024 season with RCB she played all 10 matches, taking 12 wickets at an average of 23.17 and an economy of 7.32, with a best of 3/20. With the bat she scored 78 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of around 93, including a highest of 33. A knee injury ruled her out of the following season, so she was available again this time around.
The 28-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner and useful lower-order batter brings leadership, control in the middle overs, and big-match experience. She recently captained Australia to T20 World Cup success and has long been a mainstay for Melbourne Renegades and Victoria. UP Warriorz, who arrived with the largest remaining purse and multiple overseas slots, clearly saw her as a key player for their rebuild after releasing several players. At ₹1.10 crore she becomes one of the more expensive buys of the mini-auction by the time of writing.
