At the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction, one of the biggest surprises was Australia’s Alyssa Healy going unsold. The wicketkeeper-batter was the first name drawn from the eight-player marquee list as the auction began in New Delhi, yet she received no bids. At the time, it appeared that teams might have been holding back, prioritizing other targets with the intention of revisiting Healy in the accelerated round.
However, once the accelerated round began, no franchise listed her in their wishlist,
which meant her name did not reappear in the auction. Following the event, Anya Shrubsole, assistant coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and Abhishek Nayar, head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW), shared their reasons for not pursuing the Australia skipper.
"Alyssa Healy going unsold was surprising for different reasons. When you're allowed only four overseas players [in the XI], your options are limited, and many teams prefer allrounders in their set-up. It's a tough situation for someone of her stature,” Nayar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"We have a very strong top order, and Georgia Voll gives us some offspin as well. With Richa Ghosh [as a wicketkeeper-batter] in the top five, going for Healy didn't make sense for us,” Shrubsole expressed.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Batty, head coach of Delhi Capitals (DC), confirmed that Healy was part of their discussions, but the decision ultimately came down to maintaining squad flexibility.
Healy entered the auction with a base price of INR 50 lakh after being released by the UP Warriorz (UPW), who had earlier signed her for INR 70 lakh for the first two seasons. A foot injury sidelined her during the previous edition, but she has an impressive record in the WPL with 428 runs in 17 matches, averaging 26.75 at a strike rate of 130.48. She is currently featuring for the Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and recently struck consecutive ODI World Cup centuries against India and Bangladesh.
Despite a perceived lack of demand for opening batters or potential captains, wicketkeepers were certainly sought after. Gujarat Giants (GG) retained Beth Mooney and also picked up Yastika Bhatia, currently recovering from injury, for INR 50 lakh. Delhi Capitals (DC) secured Lizelle Lee and Taniyaa Bhatia for a combined INR 60 lakh, while UP opted for the inexperienced Shipra Giri as their lone keeper for INR 10 lakh. Mumbai Indians (MI) retained G Kamalini, and RCB continued with Richa Ghosh.
Several notable overseas players also went unsold, including England’s Heather Knight and Alice Capsey, Australia’s Alana King, Amanda-Jade Wellington, and Darcie Brown, along with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu. The highest-paid overseas signing of the auction was Amelia Kerr, bought by Mumbai Indians for a massive INR 3.00 crore. She was followed by Sophie Devine, who went to Gujarat Giants for INR 2 crore, and Meg Lanning, acquired by UP Warriorz for INR 1.90 crore.
