Women's Premier League Auction: Date, Retention Rules, Venue - Report

The mega player auction for the 2026 season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will be held on November 27 in the national capital, sources aware of the development told IANS on Tuesday. IANS had previously reported on October 22 that New Delhi edged out Goa to emerge as the top choice to host the mega auction, set to be held for the first time in WPL's history. "There was a toss-up between November 26, 27, and 28. But it has now been communicated to all five franchises by the BCCI that the auction will be on November 27," sources further said.

Regarding the venue for the one-day auction, IANS understands that a plush hotel in Aerocity could host the WPL mega auction, especially after it emerged that the initial choice, Bharat Mandapam, will be occupied with the India International Trade Fair (IITF) from November 14-27.

The player retention deadline for all five WPL teams - two-time winners Mumbai Indians, 2024 winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru, three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants - is on Wednesday.

Each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players. If a team chooses to retain five players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player. The auction purse has been set at INR 15 crore.

Retention slabs have been defined as follows: INR 3.5 crore for Player 1, INR 2.5 crore for Player 2, INR 1.75 crore for Player 3, INR 1 crore for Player 4, and INR 50 lakh for Player 5. The Right to Match (RTM) option will enable franchises to buy back players who were part of their 2025 WPL squads, with a cap of five RTMs per team.

Depending on the number of retained players, the corresponding deductions from the purse will be: INR 9.25 crore for five players, INR 8.75 crore for four, INR 7.75 crore for three, INR 6 crore for two, and INR 3.5 crore for one.

The number of RTMs available will vary accordingly - franchises retaining fewer players will have more RTMs at their disposal. Teams using all five retentions will forfeit the RTM option entirely. The final date for WPL mega auction player registration is November 18, while the final list of players in the auction will be released on November 20.

IANS understands that India's win in the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup could have a late impact on WPL teams' player retention strategies.

"A few franchises may take a fresh look at their retained players list to accommodate those who performed well for India in winning the trophy. The same goes for a few overseas players who did well in the World Cup," sources further said.