India’s star allrounder Deepti Sharma became the costliest player at the WPL 2026 Mega Auction, returning to UP Warriorz for ₹3.2 crore through the RTM card after an opening bid from Delhi Capitals. Her signing became the joint second-most expensive in WPL history. New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr was another headline buy, with Mumbai Indians spending ₹3 crore – more than half their purse – to secure her.
UP Warriorz dominated the auction with the biggest purse and four RTM cards. They retained Deepti and Sophie Ecclestone, and added key names like Meg Lanning (₹1.9 crore), Phoebe Litchfield (₹1.2 crore), and Asha Sobhana (₹1.1 crore). UPW also brought back Kiran Navgire and Kranti Gaud, completing one of the strongest squads of the day.
Gujarat Giants made a strong splash by bagging Sophie Devine for ₹2 crore, while also adding Georgia Wareham (₹1 crore) and India pacer Renuka Singh (₹60 lakh). They used RTMs to retain Bharti Fulmali and Kashvee Gautam, rounding their squad to 18 players.
Mumbai Indians, despite limited purse flexibility, managed to secure Amelia Kerr and bring back Shabnim Ismail. Delhi Capitals were aggressive early, signing Laura Wolvaardt and pushing for big names but were frequently outbid by UPW. They ended the day with strong allround options in Sree Charani, Chinelle Henry, and Sneh Rana.
A total of 67 players were sold, including 23 overseas, with ₹40.8 crore spent overall. Notable unsold names included Alyssa Healy, Heather Knight, and Amy Jones. UPW and GG built the largest squads with 18 players each, while MI, RCB, and DC finished with 16-member squads.
