WPL 2026 Auction: From most expensive Smriti Mandhana to youngest Deeya Yadav – Check key players and highlights

WPL 2026 Auction: The Women's Premier League (WPL) mega auction will take place today, Thursday, November 27, in the national capital with a total of 277 players going under the hammer, including 194 Indian players and 83 overseas players.Out of 194 players participating, 52 Indian players have international experience. Out of 83 overseas players, 66 have played international cricket. The marquee players’ session will kick off the day, featuring top names such as Deepti Sharma, the 2025 Women’s World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament,’ and India’s Renuka Singh, alongside New Zealand stars Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr. England’s leading spinner Sophie Ecclestone, Australian legends Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt, the 2025 Women’s World Cup top run-scorer and three-time runner-up with Delhi Capitals (DC), will also be part of the lineup.WPL 2026 Auction: Player ages, squad limits and highlightsThe youngest players in the auction are aged 16, Deeya Yadav and Bharati Singh, while the oldest is former South African pacer Shabnim Ismail, at 37. Each franchise will be allowed to build a squad of up to 18 players. A total of 73 slots have to be filled, including 23 overseas slots, across five franchises, as per Olympics.com. UP Warriorz, who just retained the uncapped Indian batter Shweta Sehrawat, will be entering the auction with the largest amount of money in their purse, four right-to-match (RTM) options and a massive rebuilding to do.WPL 2026 Auction: Key playersDefending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Harmanpreet Kaur, and three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) have both retained the maximum of five players, leaving them with no right-to-match (RTM) options. DC have also held onto young Indian batting stars Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, who played key roles in India’s ICC Women’s World Cup triumph, particularly with standout performances in the knockout matches.WPL 2026 Auction: Smriti Mandhana becomes most expensive playerGujarat Giants, who retained Australian stalwarts Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner, have a purse of Rs nine crores, with 16 slots to fill, with four overseas names to get. In these three seasons, the Women's Premier League has seen some players getting massive bids, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana being the most expensive player in the tournament's history, with Rs 3.4 crore shelled out on her ahead of the inaugural season. She led RCB to the title in the 2024 season and was one of the four players, including Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil, retained by the franchise.In total, 17 players, including seven overseas players, were retained across all franchises, and they will have a combined purse of Rs 41.1 crore to spend at the auction.WPL 2026 Auction: Date, time, LIVE streamingThe Women's Premier League Auction will take place on Thursday, November 27. The event will start at 3:30 PM IST. You can watch the live telecast on the Star Sports Network. Live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and its official website, making it easy to follow the bidding action anywhere.With inputs from ANI.