WPL 2027 auction: All five teams' budgets, squad needs and key targets

Twenty-seven slots will be up for grabs as the five Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises enter the WPL 2027 auction in Kochi today with a combined Rs 8.15 crore to spend. Seven of those vacancies can be filled by overseas players.

Each franchise is allotted Rs 15 crore to build its squad. The salaries of retained players are deducted from this amount, leaving teams with the balance for auction purchases. A squad can have a maximum of 18 players, including up to six overseas recruits.

Following 63 player retentions and the subsequent transfer of Tara Norris from UP Warriorz to Mumbai Indians, the franchises have different gaps to address. UP need reinforcements across several departments, while Gujarat Giants have just three vacancies.

The auction features 146 players — 119 Indian and 27 overseas, including six from Associate nations. Sneh Rana, Chamari Athapaththu, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Molineux and Jess Jonassen are among the prominent names available.

UP Warriorz have Rs 3.75 crore available and eight vacancies, including three overseas positions. Their recruitment task is the largest among the five franchises after finishing last in 2026.

Finding a batter who can provide brisk starts alongside Meg Lanning should be a priority following Kiran Navgire’s release. The departures of Deandra Dottin and Chloe Tryon also create room for all-rounders who can strengthen the batting and contribute useful overs.

Grace Harris, Jonassen and Annerie Dercksen offer different combinations of those skills. Wicketkeeping is another area to address after Amy Jones’ release, with Uma Chetry and G Kamalini among the possible options. 

Buying back Sehrawat for less than Rs 50 lakh could strengthen their Indian batting options. UP’s larger budget gives them flexibility, but spreading it across several requirements will be central to their auction decisions.

Retained squad: Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri and Simran Shaikh.

Gujarat Giants have Rs 1.25 crore remaining and three vacancies, including one overseas slot. With 15 players already in place, they are closest to completing an 18-member squad.

Jonassen stands out as a potential fit because she offers an experienced bowling option capable of delivering a full four-over spell, alongside batting depth. Her addition would give captain Ashleigh Gardner another established option when setting bowling combinations.

 Another seamer would provide cover for Kashvee Gautam and Renuka Singh Thakur, although Jintimani Kalita and Happy Kumari already offer alternatives.

Gujarat remain without a WPL title but reached the Eliminator in both 2025 and 2026. Their recent improvement and limited vacancies suggest a need for selective additions around an established group.

Retained squad: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Georgia Wareham, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Yastika Bhatia, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Jintimani Kalita.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have Rs 1.15 crore to spend and five vacancies, including two overseas slots. Their core remains intact, but the releases of Dayalan Hemalatha and Gautami Naik create room for additional Indian batting options.

RCB also released Grace Harris and Linsey Smith. However, Ellyse Perry has confirmed her availability, giving the defending champions an experienced overseas batting and bowling option. Georgia Voll could open alongside Smriti Mandhana.

Tejal Hasabnis could address the middle-order requirement, while Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce offers seam bowling and additional batting support.

Champions in 2024 and 2026, RCB have retained several players central to their success. That continuity gives them a relatively settled starting point, with the auction offering an opportunity to strengthen specific positions.

Retained squad: Ellyse Perry, Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Prathyoosha Kumar, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil and Smriti Mandhana.

Delhi Capitals have Rs 1.10 crore available and five vacancies, including one overseas slot. Their most pressing requirement is a wicketkeeper-batter who can claim a place in the starting side.

Lizelle Lee performed that role in 2026 and was their leading run-scorer, hitting 46 fours and 11 sixes while opening alongside Shafali Verma. With Lee absent from this auction’s player list, Delhi must replace both her wicketkeeping and batting contribution.

The wicketkeeping decision will shape Delhi’s overseas recruitment. Signing an Indian keeper would leave the final overseas berth available for Jonassen or another international player. Choosing an overseas keeper would use that vacancy.

Athapaththu could strengthen the top order, but her recruitment would still leave the wicketkeeping requirement unresolved. Delhi’s limited purse makes that balance particularly important.

Four successive final appearances show that Delhi have a competitive foundation, despite remaining without a title. Their challenge is to preserve that strength while replacing a player who fulfilled two important roles.

Retained squad: Annabel Sutherland, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Lucy Hamilton, Marizanne Kapp, Deeya Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mamatha Madiwala, Minnu Mani, N Sree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Niki Prasad and Shafali Verma.

Mumbai Indians have the smallest remaining purse at Rs 90 lakh and six vacancies. All their auction purchases must be Indian players because Norris’ arrival from UP Warriorz has completed their six-member overseas contingent. She joined Mumbai at her existing fee of Rs 10 lakh.

Wicketkeeping is the immediate priority. Kamalini’s release leaves Rahila Firdous as the only keeper in the current squad. Mumbai could seek to buy Kamalini back at a lower price than the Rs 1.10 crore needed to retain her, or consider another option such as Chetry.

Kamalini’s Rs 40 lakh base price would account for a substantial share of Mumbai’s budget even before competitive bidding. The amount spent on a wicketkeeper will therefore influence their ability to add pace and spin cover.

Mumbai won the WPL in 2023 and 2025 but finished fourth in 2026. Their experienced overseas group provides continuity, while this auction will test their ability to strengthen the Indian contingent within the league’s tightest remaining budget.

Retained squad: Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Nicola Carey, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur, Rahila Firdous, Sajeevan Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail and Vaishnavi Sharma.

Player acquired through trade: Tara Norris.