WPL 2027: RCB retain 12 players and release four ahead of October 28 auction
Royal Challengers Bengaluru announced their list of retained and released players on September 28 ahead of the Women's Premier League 2027 auction, which is scheduled for October 28 at Grand Hyatt Kochi. The move follows RCB-W's title win in WPL 2026, when they beat Delhi Capitals in the final.
RCB-W will defend their WPL crown in 2027 after Smriti Mandhana led the franchise to victory in 2026, securing the side's second title in four seasons. The franchise has stated its intention to field a largely unchanged squad from the championship-winning campaign as it aims to become the first team to win the WPL title three times. All five WPL franchises were given a deadline of September 28 to submit lists of released players ahead of the mini-auction.
A total of 12 players have been retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of the WPL 2027 auction. Retained: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Prathyoosha Kumar. The franchise said it had not altered the core combination that won last season's title.
The retention of Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry was the most notable selection by RCB-W. The 35-year-old withdrew from the last season due to personal reasons, and the franchise has reportedly confirmed Perry’s availability for the next season and decided to retain her.
Among overseas players, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk and Lauren Bell are confirmed as retained by the defending champions. The retained list also keeps Indian internationals who featured in the title-winning campaign alongside captain Smriti Mandhana.
RCB-W released four players ahead of the auction: Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, Gautami Naik and Dayalan Hemalatha. Veteran Australian Grace Harris, 33, scored 237 runs in nine innings at 26.33 with a strike rate of 178.19 and won two Player of the Match awards last season; England's Linsey Smith played three games; Gautami Naik appeared in four matches last season and won the POTS award in one of the games.
The WPL 2027 auction will take place on October 28 at Grand Hyatt Kochi, where RCB-W and the other franchises can target replacements and reinforcements ahead of the next season.
