India's World Cup-winning stars Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaur, and Sri Charani are expected to fetch significant amounts in the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) mega auction taking place in New Delhi on Thursday, while foreign stalwarts Laura Wolvaardt and Sophie Ecclestone are also likely to attract big bids.
Sports News: The inaugural mega auction for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 is being held in New Delhi on Thursday, with b possibilities of big bids that could change the direction of women cricketers' careers. A total of 277 players are participating in this historic auction, including veteran and young players from India and around the world. Five franchise teams will fiercely compete to fill a maximum of 73 vacant spots.
In this auction, 50 Indian and 23 foreign players are likely to be selected. Each team will be allowed to include a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 18 players in their squad. This major event is being seen as a decisive turning point for women's cricket.
These Stars Will Be Under the Spotlight
India's World Cup-winning all-rounder Deepti Sharma, young fast bowler Kranti Gaur, and emerging player Sri Charani are highly likely to attract big bids. Among foreign players, stalwarts like South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, England's Sophie Ecclestone, New Zealand's Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, and Australia's Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning are among the franchises' priorities.
In the WPL 2026 auction, INR 50 lakhs has been set as the highest base price category. This category includes India's Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal, Pooja Vastrakar, Uma Chetry, and Kranti Gaur. In addition, several international superstar players are also in this category, leading to estimates that bids could cross crores.
Auction to Commence with Marquee Set
The auction will begin with the marquee set, which includes a total of eight star players. This list features:
- Deepti Sharma (India)
- Renuka Singh Thakur (India)
- Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
- Sophie Ecclestone (England)
- Alyssa Healy (Australia)
- Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
- Meg Lanning (Australia)
- Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
These players are expected to attract big bids in the initial phase itself, which will make the auction atmosphere highly exciting. The growing global popularity of the WPL can be gauged from the fact that this time, four players from associate nations are also part of the auction. These include:
- Teertha Satish (UAE)
- Esha Oza (UAE)
- Tara Norris (USA)
- Thipatcha Putthawong (Thailand)
The presence of these players indicates that women's cricket is no longer limited to major cricketing nations but is rapidly spreading across the world. In the auction, all five teams will focus on building balanced squads. A strategy of combining Indian young talents with experienced foreign players will be adopted. All-rounders, death-over specialist bowlers, and explosive opening batters are expected to be in highest demand.
