WPL 2026 Auction Players List & Their Base Prices
The 2026 edition of WPL is ready to set cricketing fans’ hearts ablaze, as the WPL 2026 auction players list pool has just been released by the organisers: a staggering 277 players are registered to go under the hammer, while only 73 roster spots are available across the five franchise squads.
The Megha auction this year is planned in New Delhi, which will take place on 27 November 2025 at The Hotel Aerocity starting from 3:30 PM (IST). In this blog post of Starexch, we will be breaking down the WPL 2026 auction players list, and their base prices.
Breakdown of WPL 2026 Auction Players List
The whole WPL 2026 auction players list reflects the health of women’s cricket’s future, growth and increasing competition.
- Total players: 277
- Indian players: 194 (52 capped, 142 uncapped), fighting for 50 spots.
- Overseas: 83 (66 capped, 17 uncapped), competing for 23 places.
The massive pool is indicative of the steady fillip that women’s cricket has got, more than doubling in participation compared to the last edition.
Base-Price Structure
To manage bidding and set expectations, the auction uses a base-price slab system. According to the most recent release:
- ₹ 50 lakh bracket: 19 players
- ₹ 40 lakh bracket: 11 players
- ₹ 30 lakh bracket: 88 players
- Additional categories (lower) cover the remaining players.
The marquee importance of this auction is evident from the base-price distribution: 19 players putting themselves in the top bracket show their confidence, while a larger 30-lakh segment reveals the depth of competition.
Marquee & High-Price Players
As the auction commences, it will open with a marquee set of players, superstars whose presence already drives immense attention from the audience.
Among the top 50-lakh base-price players in the WPL 2026 auction players list:
- Deepti Sharma (India)
- Renuka Singh (India)
- Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
- Sophie Ecclestone (England)
- Alyssa Healy (Australia)
- Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
- Meg Lanning (Australia)
- Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)
These eight will be the first to go when the bidding starts, a strategically important set of people that can help forecast early team dynamics.
Among the 19 players at the ₹ 50 lakh base-price bracket are many of these marquee names, underscoring their star status. Others beyond the marquee eight also opted for the top slab, signalling strong belief in their value.
Opportunities & Strategy Ahead
But with just 73 spots and 277 players, more than two-thirds will fail to sell. This won’t be simply a numbers game; it’s going to be an auction, strategically played out by franchise owners. Sides can either look at top proven performance properties or try and get hidden value to create a balanced squad.
It will also be perhaps transportive to see how franchises operate under a budget. Some may bid aggressively for marquee players, others the ₹ 30 lakh (or below) range with a view to plucking out survivors of intense competition who can give value on a medium or long term.
WPL franchises that would scrutinise form, necessity and squad better could get a bit more value for the buck, and thereby further mould the future of WPL. The auction is in many ways more than just a reflection of individual valuations for fans and analysts, but also implies team strategies and long-term planning.
Amidst this chaos are platforms like Starexchange, which analyse and discuss such tournaments to provide a completely new perspective into who the breakout players could be and which team might get the most balanced XI in budget.
What This Means for WPL 2026
The wider pool of players, strict base-price slabs and a combination of domestic and foreign players will make the 2026 sale the most competitive to date. It is considered to be more of a balancing act between top names, young talent and budget constraints.
This draft could alter the league’s dynamics. The right blend of players, a mixture of experience and youth, capped and uncapped, can make or break a team’s season. In real time, as fans follow along breathlessly with the auction, it will affect not just what happens in the 2026 season but perhaps even more how players and teams play out far into the future.
For hopeful players, the bloated pool is a sign that opportunities are expanding. For fans, it means a season of more competitive games, new faces and unexpected results.
Conclusion
With rising interest and increasing depth, WPL 2026’s auction promises to be a landmark event in women’s cricket. And as franchises wrestle for talent, fans and platforms like Starexchange will be laser-focused on the WPL 2026 auction players list, in which players shine and which teams build the most clever lineups under pressure from limited budgets.
FAQ
1. How many players are going under the hammer, and how many slots are vacant?
A total of 277 players have signed for the auction, when there are a total of 73 slots to be filled with five WPL team squads.
2. Who are from India, and who is foreign?
194 players, of which 52 are capped internationals and 142 are uncapped Indians; two players from Associate nations; 19 from overseas (8 capped, 10 uncapped).
3. What are the base-price slabs?
The base-price structure has a top bracket of ₹ 50 lakh (19 players), ₹ 40 lakh (11 players), and ₹30 lakh (88 players), followed by price brackets going down.
