When the five teams announced their retention list for the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on November 7, raised eyebrows at Deepti Sharma’s exclusion by UP Warriorz seemed justified. Less than a week earlier, she had won the Player-of-the-Tournament award at the ODI World Cup after all.
At the mega auction here on Thursday for the 2026 edition, which will be held in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara from January 9 to February 5, Warriorz managed to get the all-rounder back by using the Right to Match (RTM) option but not without having to shell out Rs. 3.2 crore.
It made her the most expensive buy on Thursday, and the joint-second-highest in WPL auctions behind Smriti Mandhana’s acquisition for Rs. 3.4 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the inaugural year. Capitals made the opening bid at her base price of Rs. 50 lakh, and raised the stakes to Rs. 3.2 crore once Warriorz decided to exercise RTM.
It was one of several noteworthy picks by Warriorz, armed with the highest purse of Rs. 14.5 crore, at the auction table. To reinforce the pace attack, they engaged in a fierce bidding war with RCB for Shikha Pandey, eventually forking out Rs. 2.4 crore for the 36-year-old.
Spending Rs. 1.9 crore for Australia’s Meg Lanning meant three of the five costliest purchases in this auction belonged to Warriorz. Lanning could be partnered at the top by 22-year-old Phoebe Litchfield, who fetched Rs. 1.2 crore on the back of her scintillating century against India in the semifinal of the ODI World Cup.
For Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, the theme of the auction was continuity. Defending champion MI splurged Rs. 3 crore from a purse of Rs. 5.75 crore for the services of Amelia Kerr. The New Zealand all-rounder was part of MI’s title-winning squads in 2023 and 2025.
Capitals went back for left-arm spinner Sree Charani for Rs. 1.3 crore. Although she had played just two games last season, the 21-year-old from Andhra emerged as one of the brightest sparks of India’s triumphant ODI World Cup campaign with 14 scalps in nine games. Having lost out to Warriorz for former captain Lanning, DC swooped in on South African opener Laura Wolvaardt for Rs. 1.1 crore. Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal said the team will be led by an Indian.
“We went till where we could for Lanning. In Wolvaardt, we have a tremendous player who can fill her shoes. She is a great addition to the squad,” said Jindal.
By the end, 67 players were sold and Rs. 40.8 crore was spent by the five teams. Curiously, Alyssa Healy and Alana King were among those unsold.
Published on Nov 27, 2025