The WPL mega auction for the 2026 season will take place on November 27 in New Delhi, according to sources familiar with the situation.
As per reports from IANS, New Delhi was chosen over Goa to host the
inaugural mega auction in WPL history.
“There was a toss-up between November 26, 27, and 28. But it has now been communicated to all five franchises by the BCCI that the auction will be on November 27,” IANS quoted sources.
The auction, to be held for one day, is likely to take place at a luxury hotel in Aerocity after Bharat Mandapam was found unavailable due to the India International Trade Fair (IITF) from November 14-27.
WPL 2026 Auction: Players Retained?
The player retention deadline for the five WPL teams — Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants — is on Wednesday. Each franchise can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players. If a team opts to retain five players, one must be an uncapped Indian player. The auction purse is set at INR 15 crore.
WPL 2026 Auction: Purse Remaining?
Retention costs are defined as INR 3.5 crore for Player 1, INR 2.5 crore for Player 2, INR 1.75 crore for Player 3, INR 1 crore for Player 4, and INR 50 lakh for Player 5. The Right to Match (RTM) option allows franchises to buy back players from their 2025 WPL squads, with a limit of five RTMs per team.
Deductions from the purse based on the number of retained players are: INR 9.25 crore for five players, INR 8.75 crore for four, INR 7.75 crore for three, INR 6 crore for two, and INR 3.5 crore for one. The availability of RTMs will vary, with more RTMs for teams retaining fewer players. Teams using all five retentions will forfeit the RTM option. The final date for player registration for the WPL mega auction is November 18, and the final list of players will be released on November 20.
WPL 2026 Auction: Top Pick?
India’s victory in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup may influence WPL teams’ player retention strategies.
“A few franchises may have a relook at their retained players list to accommodate the ones who did well for India in winning the trophy. The same goes for a few overseas players who did well in the World Cup,” sources further told IANS.
(With inputs from Agencies)
