The WPL 2026 players retained and released list has been finalized, marking a major shake-up ahead of the upcoming mega auction. Indian stars Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma remain with their respective franchises. However, Australia’s Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, along with New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr and India’s Deepti Sharma, have been released into the auction pool.
Major Stars Released Before the WPL 2026 Auction
Several global icons will headline the WPL 2026 auction, making it one of the most anticipated events in the league’s history. Lanning and Healy’s release comes as a surprise, especially after their consistent performances last season. Additionally, Amelia Kerr and Deepti Sharma — the 2025 World Cup’s Player of the Tournament — will also be available for bidding.
Here are the defending champions, Mumbai Indians’ retained players for WPL Season 4! 💙🏆
— wicketbuzz (@wicketbuzz) November 6, 2025
Ready to run it back for another title!
📸Getty pic.twitter.com/Oqsq7BdCIh
Among the five franchises, Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals have retained the maximum five players each. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have retained four, Gujarat Giants two, and UP Warriorz only one.
Here are the five players Delhi Capitals have retained for WPL Season 4! 💙✍
— wicketbuzz (@wicketbuzz) November 6, 2025
Core intact, eyes on the title!
📸Getty pic.twitter.com/imOYo1oahr
WPL 2026 Players Retained by Each Franchise
Delhi Capitals: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Niki Prasad
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, Hayley Matthews, G Kamalini
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney
UP Warriorz: Shweta Sehrawat
According to WPL 2026 retention rules, franchises may retain up to three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players. Furthermore, teams keeping five players must include at least one uncapped Indian.
Here are Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s retained players for WPL Season 4! 🔴🔥
— wicketbuzz (@wicketbuzz) November 6, 2025
The core stays strong as RCB gears up for a big season!
📸Getty pic.twitter.com/jzrdLWuX2B
Purse Rules and RTM Cards for WPL 2026
Each franchise has been allocated ₹15 crore for the upcoming auction. The retention slabs range from ₹3.5 crore for Player 1 to ₹50 lakh for Player 5. Consequently, Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians will enter the auction with ₹5.75 crore remaining.
In contrast, UP Warriorz have the largest purse of ₹14.5 crore and four Right-to-Match (RTM) cards. Gujarat Giants will have ₹9 crore with three RTMs, while RCB will carry ₹6.25 crore and one RTM.
With these retentions confirmed, the WPL 2026 players retained and released list has set the stage for a thrilling auction on November 27 in Delhi. Fans can expect fierce bidding wars for stars like Healy, Lanning, Kerr, and Deepti Sharma.
