Mumbai: The deadline day has arrived for the upcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) as all five teams prepare for a roster reshuffle ahead of the mega auction, despite the number of franchises remaining unchanged. Teams such as Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals face particularly challenging decisions, having fielded two of the strongest squads in women’s franchise cricket over the past three seasons. Mumbai Indians secured two titles in three editions, while the Capitals reached the final in each past season.
Key overseas players like Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Deandra Dottin, and Amelia Kerr will draw attention as teams make difficult retention choices, with a maximum of five players allowed to be retained before the auction. Teams like Gujarat Giants may opt to retain only one or two players to reconfigure their roster, potentially holding on to Ash Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield.
Ahead of the November 27 auction, teams must also ensure they enter with sufficient funds, as five player retentions will deduct INR 9.25 crore from a total purse of INR 15 crore. As a result, some difficult choices may trigger the release of major names to subsequently acquire them for a lower price at the auction through the Right-to-Match (RTM) option.
How many players can a team retain?
Teams can retain a maximum of five players, comprising three Indian and two overseas players. Regardless of the total number of retentions, no team can retain more than three Indian players or two overseas players.
Salary slabs (total purse INR 15 crore)
| Players retained | Deduction amount (INR) | Purse remaining (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.50 crore | 11.50 crore |
| 2 | 6.00 crore | 9.00 crore |
| 3 | 7.75 crore | 7.25 crore |
| 4 | 8.75 crore | 6.25 crore |
| 5 | 9.25 crore | 5.75 crore |
Is RTM available?
Yes, teams may use the Right-to-Match (RTM) card corresponding to their pre-auction retentions. If a team retains all five players, then the RTM option will not be available. However, if a team retains three or four players, it will have access to two or one RTM options, respectively.
Live telecast and streaming
According to Jiotv.com, Star Sports 2 Hindi will broadcast the WPL 2026 retentions deadline day live at 5 PM IST, with the possibility of streaming on JioHotstar as well.
