The auction for WPL 2026 is scheduled to begin on Thursday, November 27, from 3:30 PM onwards in New Delhi. All five teams will participate in the mega event through which the new squads will be determined for the fourth season of the league. Ahead of the auction, retention lists were announced on November 6 by the teams, keeping a total of 16 players. A total of 277 players will go under the hammer. Out of these, 194 are Indian players, which include 52 capped and 142 uncapped names. But teams have only 50 slots available for Indian players. As far as overseas players are concerned, 66 names are in the pool, while only 23 slots are available. Where to Watch the WPL 2026 Auction The WPL 2026 auction will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network. The live telecast will start at 2:30 PM, while the auction will begin at 3:30 PM. All the action will also be streamed on the JioHotstar website and the mobile app. Also Read | 5 Players MI Women Must Target at the WPL 2026 Mega Auction Squad Size, Salary Cap and Slots Before Auction Below is the full team breakdown prior to the auction: Franchises Players Retained Overseas Players Uncapped Players RTM Money Spent (Cr) Purse Left (Cr) Slots Left Overseas Slots DC 5 2 1 0 9.3 5.7 13 4 GG 2 2 0 3 6 9 16 4 MI 5 2 1 0 9.25 5.75 13 4 RCB 4 1 0 1 8.85 6.15 14 5 UPW 1 0 1 4 0.5 14.5 17 6 Total 17 7 3 8 33.9 41.1 - - What to Expect from This Year’s Auction The WPL has grown fast since it began in 2023. Big names like Smriti Mandhana and Nat Sciver-Brunt set early records, and now fans wait to see if a new top bid will be made in the first mega auction year. The full WPL 2026 schedule is set to be released after the auction, with the matches likely to be held in January 2026. Vadodara and Navi Mumbai are being looked upon as possible host cities. The titles in the years 2023 and 2025 were won by Mumbai Indians Women, while RCB Women lifted the trophy in 2024. Delhi Capitals Women have finished runners-up on three occasions and will hope to finally win their first trophy in 2026.