With the Women's Premier League 2026 mega auction just around the corner, all five franchises have announced their list of retained players. India's World Cup-winning stars, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma, lead the way. While many big names were retained, a few shocking releases have set the stage for a thrilling auction on November 27 in Delhi. This year’s retention window brought a mix of stability and surprises as some teams chose to retain their core, while others let go of key international stars such as Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, and Amelia Kerr, all of whom will go under the hammer. Deepti Sharma, the player of the tournament at the 2025 World Cup, was also let go after leading UP Warriorz in the absence of Healy. Overview of Retention Media reports stated that Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals utilised the full five-player retention limit allowed by the league. Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained four, while Gujarat Giants retained two and UP Warriorz retained just one. The auction purse for every franchise shall stand at ₹15 crores, whereas the exact bid amount is decided on the basis of the number of players retained by each team. Full List of Retained Players for WPL 2026 Delhi Capitals BACK TO ROAR FOR DILLI 🐅💙 pic.twitter.com/m3nGGSMSLN — Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) November 6, 2025 Annabel Sutherland Sutherland has been one of Delhi's most dependable all-rounders-scoring 482 runs and taking 22 wickets in 22 matches. Her dependable medium pace bowling and relaxed batting style earn her the title of match-winner in crunch situations. Marizanne Kapp Kapp is one of the key performers with 423 runs and 18 wickets in 21 matches. Accurate with her bowling and able to deliver in pressure situations, she becomes pretty crucial to the plans of Delhi. Jemimah Rodrigues Jemimah has been a consistent top-order batter with 730 runs from 27 matches. Her ability to rotate the strike and play the anchor role makes her vital to Delhi's batting. Moreover, her recent form has been amazing and hence, her retention was not at all a surprise. Shafali Verma The young opener has smashed 615 runs within 24 matches giving Delhi explosive starts. Her fearless hitting in the powerplays remains one of Delhi's biggest strengths. Niki Prasad The uncapped batter has played 10 matches and scored 205 runs, mostly remaining unbeaten in pressure chases. She represents Delhi’s faith in upcoming domestic talent. Mumbai Indians Mumbai, पाहा आपले 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 stars! 🤩#AaliRe #MumbaiIndians #TATAWPL pic.twitter.com/tXnmFD0L8m — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 6, 2025 Harmanpreet Kaur The captain of Mumbai and winner of the championship in 2025, Harmanpreet has scored 689 runs and taken 12 wickets in 29 matches. The leadership qualities and match temperament of this player make her irreplaceable. Nat Sciver-Brunt The English all-rounder, Nat Sciver Brunt, has scored 632 runs and taken 20 wickets in 25 matches. She is one of the most complete players in the WPL with her all-round ability. Amanjot Kaur With 276 runs and nine wickets in 18 matches, Amanjot Kaur adds depth in both departments and is seen as a future star for Mumbai. She was a key performer for India in Women's World Cup 2025 and the franchise will hope for her form to remain intact for the upcoming season of WPL. G Kamalini G Kamalini has played 12 matches, scoring 150 runs. She is a reliable finisher of the innings as a lower-order batter and is strong in the field. Hayley Matthews The West Indian star has scored 385 runs and taken 15 wickets in 20 matches, often opening both batting and bowling. Her 3/21 in the playoffs remains one of the standout performances. Royal Challengers Bengaluru 🎬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟒, 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏: The making of our #ClassOf2026💪Our #PlayBold core, our beating heart. 🤩❤️#ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/jhjCGhv6pR — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) November 6, 2025 Smriti Mandhana Smriti, RCB's captain and one of its key batters, has scored 725 runs in 30 matches with her consistent starts and captaincy helping RCB stay competitive. Ellyse Perry The all-rounder from Australia, Ellyse Perry, has so far scored 410 runs and picked 25 wickets in 22 matches. A fine balance between bat and ball makes her a complete package. Richa Ghosh Richa has scored 210 runs in 20 matches and contributed as a wicketkeeper. Her power-hitting and sharp glovework add reliability to RCB's lower order. Shreyanka Patil The young off-spinner has picked up 19 wickets in 18 matches. She works immensely on the middle overs, containing runs and picking up wickets. Gujarat Giants Official Announcement 📣We’re thrilled to announce the retention of our Aussie power duo, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney for the upcoming #WPL cycle! 🧡💪Two Giants who define consistency, class, and champion mindset. ✨#GujaratGiants #BringItOn #Adani #WPL2026 pic.twitter.com/TEyPw1qvea — Gujarat Giants (@Giant_Cricket) November 6, 2025 Ashleigh Gardner Gardner has made 334 runs and taken 25 wickets in 23 matches. She is definitely that all-rounder, with power-hitting and consistent bowling. Beth Mooney The experienced opener has scored 470 runs in 19 matches. Mooney’s calm approach at the top gives Gujarat much-needed stability in chases. UP Warriorz From a U19 T20 World Cup champion to a Warrior through and through — Shweta Sehrawat stays with us for #TATAWPL Season 4. 💜The belief stays. The journey continues. 🔥#UPWarriorz #UttarDega pic.twitter.com/8z3V81OYxl — UP Warriorz (@UPWarriorz) November 6, 2025 Shweta Sehrawat The young Indian talent has scored 210 runs in 10 matches, her growth and potential guaranteed to keep her in the watch list for the coming season. WPL 2026 Retention Rules Explained The retention policy of WPL 2026 will allow every franchise to retain a maximum of: 3 capped Indian players 2 overseas players 2 uncapped Indian players If a team retains five players, at least one of those must be uncapped. For the first time, the WPL has brought in the RTM card. It allows a team to take back a player they had in their set-up by matching the highest bid for the player during the auction. This rule makes it more thrilling and strategic, as now teams can bring back some of their top performers without utilizing any retention slot. Purse Remaining for Each Team Every franchise starts at ₹ 15 crore, with deductions made depending upon the number of players they have retained: 5 players retained: ₹9.25 crore deducted 4 players retained: ₹8.75 crore deducted 3 players retained: ₹7.75 crore deducted 2 players retained: ₹6 crore deducted 1 player retained: ₹3.5 crore deducted After these deductions: Delhi Capitals: ₹5.75 crore left (no RTM cards) Mumbai Indians: ₹5.75 crore remaining, no RTM cards Royal Challengers Bengaluru: ₹6.25 crore left (1 RTM) Gujarat Giants: ₹9 crore remaining, 3 RTMs, Indian players only UP Warriorz: ₹14.5 crore left (4 RTMs) What to Expect at the WPL 2026 Mega Auction With several big-game players like Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr, and Deepti Sharma coming into the auction, the bidding war is on the cards. Teams with huge purses, such as UP Warriorz, might reshape their lineups completely. The auction on November 27 in Delhi promises to be one of the most competitive in WPL history. With new retention rules and RTM cards in play, franchises will look to build balanced squads ahead of the 2026 season, set to be the biggest yet for women’s cricket in India.