WPL 2026 Mega Auction: The Ultimate Guide to All New Squads

WPL 2026 Mega Auction: The Ultimate Guide to All New Squads, Strengths, and Weaknesses

The dust has finally settled in New Delhi. The first-ever Mega Auction for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) officially concluded on November 27, 2025, and it was an event filled with drama, record-breaking bids, and shocking twists.

For cricket fans in India and around the world, the WPL has become a major calendar event. After three successful seasons, the league pressed the reset button this year. Teams had to release many of their players, leading to a massive pool of talent going under the hammer.

We saw franchises break the bank for Indian all-rounders, we saw legendary captains switch teams, and we saw some of the biggest names in world cricket go unsold.

The stage is now set for the fourth season, which will begin very soon on January 9, 2026, taking place in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.

Before the first ball is bowled, it is time to take a deep dive into how the five teams shape up. Who won the auction? Who still has gaps to fill? Here is a complete analysis of every WPL team’s squad, their strengths, and their weaknesses after the 2026 Mega Auction.

The History Books: Past Winners

Before we look at the future, let's quickly look at who has dominated the WPL in its first three years. Mumbai Indians have been the most successful team so far, winning two out of three titles.

Note: Delhi Capitals have been incredibly consistent, reaching the final every single year, but they have yet to lift the trophy.

1. Mumbai Indians (MI)

The defending champions came into the auction with a very clear plan: keep their winning core together and add one superstar. They executed this plan perfectly.

Mumbai Indians are known for having the most balanced team in the league, heavily relying on world-class all-rounders. They already retained their captain Harmanpreet Kaur and the dynamic duo of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews.

In the auction, they made one of the biggest moves of the day by buying New Zealand’s star all-rounder, Amelia Kerr, for ₹3.0 Crore.

Post-Auction Squad Snapshot:

Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot Kaur, Saika Ishaque, Pooja Vastrakar, Shabnim Ismail.

Strengths

• The Best All-Rounder Department: MI’s strength is ridiculous here. They can play Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, and Amelia Kerr in the same XI. All three are match-winners with both bat and ball. This gives the captain so many options.

• Experienced Core: They retained the players who won them two titles. The chemistry is already there. They don't need to rebuild from scratch; they just reloaded.

• Spin Bowling: With Amelia Kerr joining Hayley Matthews and Saika Ishaque, their spin attack is varied and lethal on Indian pitches.

Weaknesses

• Over-reliance on Overseas Stars: Their biggest match-winners (Sciver-Brunt, Matthews, Kerr) are overseas players. According to the rules, only four overseas players can be in the playing XI. Fitting them all in, plus a foreign fast bowler like Shabnim Ismail, will be a tough selection headache for the coach.

• Indian Pace Bowling: While they bought back Pooja Vastrakar, their Indian fast bowling stocks look a little thinner compared to their spin department.

2. UP Warriorz (UPW)

If there was a winner of the auction based on pure aggressive buying, it was the UP Warriorz. They entered the auction with the most money (₹14.5 Crore) because they barely retained anyone. They decided to completely rebuild the team.

Their auction was headlined by the biggest buy of the year. They used their "Right to Match" (RTM) card to buy back Indian superstar Deepti Sharma for a massive ₹3.2 Crore, making her the most expensive player in this auction.

They didn't stop there. They also bought legendary Australian captain Meg Lanning (who was released by Delhi) for ₹1.9 Crore and veteran Indian pacer Shikha Pandey for ₹2.4 Crore.

Post-Auction Squad Snapshot:

Meg Lanning, Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy (Wait, no—she went unsold!), Shikha Pandey, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat.

(Correction: A major shock of the auction was former UPW captain Alyssa Healy going unsold. The team will have a new leader this year.)

Strengths

• World-Class Bowling Attack: On paper, this is now perhaps the best bowling attack in the league. They have the world's best spinner in Sophie Ecclestone, partnered with India's best spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma. Adding the experience of pacer Shikha Pandey makes them incredibly dangerous in defending totals.

• Leadership: Buying Meg Lanning is a masterstroke. She is one of the most successful captains in cricket history. Even if she doesn't captain UPW, her presence in the dressing room is invaluable.

Weaknesses

• Team Chemistry: This is almost an entirely new group of players. Unlike Mumbai or Delhi, who have played together for years, UPW needs to find their rhythm quickly. With the tournament starting in January, they don't have much time to gel.

• The Wicketkeeper Question: With Alyssa Healy gone, they need to figure out who their main wicketkeeper-batter will be and where that person fits in the batting order.

3. Delhi Capitals (DC)

The Delhi Capitals have been the "nearly there" team of the WPL, losing three consecutive finals. Before the auction, they made a huge decision to release their captain, Meg Lanning.

Their strategy in the auction was to replace Lanning's runs at the top of the order and buy back some of their key bowlers. They succeeded in buying South African captain Laura Wolvaardt for ₹1.1 Crore to open the batting. They also managed to buy back key Indian spinner Radha Yadav.

DC has always relied on explosive batting power, and they have kept that philosophy alive.

Post-Auction Squad Snapshot:

Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt, Jess Jonassen, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Shikha Pandey (Lost to UPW).

Strengths

• Explosive Top Order: A batting lineup featuring Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and now Laura Wolvaardt is terrifying for bowlers. They can take the game away from the opposition in the first six overs (the Powerplay).

• Marizanne Kapp: Retaining Kapp was crucial. She is arguably the best new-ball pacer in the women's game and often picks up wickets in the very first over.

Weaknesses

• The Captaincy Void: Releasing Meg Lanning leaves a massive hole in leadership. Who will captain the side? Jemimah Rodrigues is a likely candidate, but Lanning's tactical genius will be missed.

• Finishing Power: Their top order is great, but they might lack a pure, destructive "finisher" down the order if their main batters get out early. They will rely heavily on Marizanne Kapp to do that job too.

4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

The 2024 champions have the most passionate fanbase in the league. They entered the auction looking to support their retained superstars—Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry.

RCB had a smart auction. They didn't break the bank on one player but made several clever purchases to balance the squad. Their best buy might be Australian all-rounder Grace Harris, known for her incredible hitting power in the final overs. They also bought versatile Indian pacer Arundhati Reddy.

Post-Auction Squad Snapshot:

Smriti Mandhana (C), Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shreyanka Patil, Grace Harris, Arundhati Reddy, Georgia Wareham.

Strengths

• Star Power and Fan Support: With Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry, they have two of the biggest brands in cricket. Playing at home (or near home in Navi Mumbai) gives them a huge boost.

• Batting Firepower: A batting lineup featuring Smriti at the top, Perry in the middle, and Richa Ghosh and Grace Harris as finishers is very intimidating. They have all bases covered in batting.

Weaknesses

• Spin Bowling Depth: While Shreyanka Patil is a bright young talent and Georgia Wareham is good, their spin attack doesn't look quite as threatening as Mumbai's or UP's on paper. They will need their pacers to step up.

5. Gujarat Giants (GG)

The Gujarat Giants have been the underperformers of the WPL so far, finishing at the bottom of the table multiple times. They needed a strong auction to turn things around.

They retained their captain Beth Mooney and all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner. In the auction, they focused on bringing in experienced overseas players to support them.

They bought New Zealand's powerful captain Sophie Devine for ₹2.0 Crore. They also secured Indian swing bowler Renuka Singh Thakur, which was a good pick-up to lead their pace attack.

Post-Auction Squad Snapshot:

Beth Mooney (C), Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana.

Strengths

• Powerful Overseas Contingent: Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner, and Sophie Devine are three of the cleanest hitters in the game. If these three fire together, Gujarat can chase down any total.

• New Ball Bowling: Renuka Singh Thakur is excellent with the new ball. If the conditions in Navi Mumbai or Vadodara offer any swing, she will be a handful for opening batters.

Weaknesses

• Indian Batting Depth: This has been GG's problem for three years, and it still looks like a worry. Outside of their overseas stars, they lack proven, consistent Indian domestic batters who can win matches under pressure. If Mooney and Devine get out early, the team could struggle to put up big scores.

• Past Baggage: Having finished last multiple times, the team needs to shake off a losing mentality. Integrating new players and building confidence quickly will be key for their coach.

Summary

The 2026 Mega Auction has reshuffled the decks. While Mumbai Indians still look like the team to beat due to their settled core, UP Warriorz have assembled a "super team" on paper that could challenge for the title if they find their chemistry.

For the complete schedule and live updates, you can visit the official WPL website.

This Is The Schedule Of WPL 2026: