WPL 2027: Franchises submit retention and release lists ahead of October 28 auction
Franchises in the Women’s Premier League have submitted their player retention and release lists ahead of the WPL 2027 player auction, which is set for October 28, 2026 at the Grand Hyatt in Kochi. The lists detail retained squads and released players as teams prepare for the auction and the BCCI-confirmed tournament window.
The WPL has rapidly grown into a major competition for women cricketers, and the last four editions have seen Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru each claim two titles. Delhi Capitals have reached the final on a record four occasions without winning, while UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants have struggled across the past four seasons. With the fifth season scheduled from January 14 to February 7, 2027, franchises are reshaping squads ahead of the October auction to add reinforcement and move on from underperformers.
One retention submission listed the following retained players: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar and Prathyoosha Kumar. The corresponding released players were Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, Gautami Naik and Dayalan Hemalatha. Smriti Mandhana is designated as captain in the retained list, indicated by (c).
Another submission retained Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver, Nicola Carey, Rahila Firdous, S Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail and Vaishnavi Sharma. The same list released G Kamalini, Milly Illingworth, Nalla Reddy, Poonam Khemnar, Saika Ishaque and Triveni Vasistha. Amelia Kerr and Natalie Sciver are among the internationals named in that retained group.
A third retention entry showed Annabel Sutherland, Chinelle Henry, Deeya Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Lucy Hamilton, Mamatha Madiwala, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Nandni Sharma, Niki Prasad, Shafali Verma and Sree Charani as retained. Its released players were Lizelle Lee, Alana King, Taniyaa Bhatia, Sneh Rana, Pragati Singh and Eddla Srujana. Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma figure among the retained batters in that submission.
A fourth list recorded Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Pratika Rawal, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Sophie Ecclestone and Tara Norris as retained. The released players named were Kiran Navgire, Chloe Tryon, Amy Jones, Deandra Dottin*, Asha Sobhana and Shweta Sehrawat. Sophie Ecclestone and Meg Lanning appear among the retained internationals in this block.
The final retention set included Anushka Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Bharti Fulmali, Georgia Wareham, Happy Kumari, Jintimani Kalita, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Kim Garth, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Tanuja Kanwer and Yastika Bhatia. Its released players were Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Aayushi Soni, Titas Sadhu and Shivani Singh. Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner are listed among the retained internationals in this submission.
The WPL 2027 player auction will take place on October 28, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt in Kochi, and the fifth season is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7, 2027 as confirmed by the BCCI. For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.