WPL Retention 2026: Complete Retained Player Lists of All Five Teams

As the Women’s Premier League (WPL) prepares for its 2026 mega-auction, franchises face major decisions in shaping their squads. The retention process allows teams to keep core players ahead of the auction. In this post, we’ll cover the WPL 2026 Retention rules, how the retention purse works, what each of the five teams can do, and what we know so far about possible retained player lists. Whether you’re a fan, analyst, or fantasy cricket player, this guide provides a clear look into the retention dynamics of the WPL.

With the retention deadline now close (November 5, 2025) and the auction set for late November, the stage is set for intense strategic moves by all five franchises. Let’s dive into the rulebook, the financial mechanics, the strategic perspectives, and what this means for the teams and players.

WPL 2026 Retention Rules: What the Franchise Charter Says

Understanding what franchises are allowed to do is mission‑critical. The governing body of the WPL has issued clear guidelines for 2026, and these shape how teams plan.

Maximum Retentions & Composition

• Each franchise can retain up to five (5) players ahead of the auction.
• Within that max of five, the breakdown is restricted:
  • Up to three capped Indian players.
  • Up to two overseas players.
  • Up to two uncapped Indian players.
• If a team uses the full quota of 5 retained players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player.

Financial & Purse Mechanics

• Each franchise has a total purse of ₹15 crore (Indian rupees) to rebuild its squad in the auction.
• The retention amounts for each “slot” (i.e., first retained player, second, third etc) are fixed in slabs:
  • 1st retention: ₹3.50 crore
  • 2nd retention: ₹2.50 crore
  • 3rd retention: ₹1.75 crore
  • 4th retention: ₹1.00 crore
  • 5th retention: ₹0.50 crore (50 lakh)
• The deduction from the purse therefore depends on how many players the team retains. For example:
  • Retaining 5 players → deduction of ₹9.25 crore → remaining purse ~ ₹5.75 crore.
  • Retaining 4 players → deduction of ~₹8.75 crore → one RTM (Right to Match) card still available.
  • Retaining 3 players → deduction of ~₹7.75 crore → two RTM cards available.
• Note: Each retained uncapped player counts at the 50 lakh slab. Also, franchises are free to pay a retained player more than slab value, but the excess will also be deducted from the purse.

RTM (Right to Match) Option

• For the first time in WPL, franchises have the RTM (Right to Match) tool in the auction. This allows a franchise to match the highest bid for a player who was in their squad in the previous season (subject to conditions) and retain them despite them going into the auction pool.
• The catch: The number of RTM cards a franchise gets is inversely related to the number of retentions. E.g., if you retain 5 players, you get 0 RTM cards. If you retain fewer, you get more RTM available.

Timeline

• The retention list must be submitted by 5 November 2025 (5 PM IST) for all franchises.
• Player registration deadline: 18 November 2025.
• Final list of players eligible for the auction: 20 November 2025.
• Mega auction window: reported to be 26‑29 November 2025 (some reports specify 27 Nov at Aerocity, New Delhi).

Full List of WPL Retention 2026

Team	Retained Players	Purse Remaining	RTM Cards	Selected Notable Released Players
Mumbai Indians Women	Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver‑Brunt, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini, Hayley Matthews	₹ 5.75 crore	0	Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Jintimani Kalita, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail, Pooja Vastrakar
Delhi Capitals Women	Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Niki Prasad	₹ 5.75 crore		Meg Lanning, Alice Capsey, Jess Jonassen, Radha Yadav, Nandini Kashyap, Shikha Pandey, Sarah Bryce
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women	Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil	₹ 6.25 crore	1	Sabbineni Meghana, Georgia Wareham, Renuka Singh, Ekta Bisht, Kanika Ahuja, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Kim Garth, Charlie Dean
Gujarat Giants Women	Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney	₹ 9.00 crore	3	Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Kashvee Gautam, Dayalan Hemalatha, Prakashika Naik, Simran Shaikh
UP Warriorz Women	Shweta Sehrawat	₹ 14.50 crore	4	Alyssa Healy, Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Harris, Tahlia McGrath, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Arushi Goel, Alana King, Gouher Sultana, Kranti Goud

Strategic Implications for Franchises

Each franchise now faces a matrix of decisions. Here are the key strategic considerations they must balance:

Retain or Release: Core vs Flexibility

Franchises must ask: which players are required for the team’s identity and success? Retaining them means budget is locked. If they release them, they risk competition in the auction and higher price.

• If you retain the full five, you have no RTM cards and only ~₹5.75 crore for the auction.
• If you retain fewer, you leave more salvageable budget and gain RTMs — allowing you to be opportunistic in the auction.

Overseas vs Domestic Balance

Given the cap of two overseas retention slots, franchises need to evaluate the trade‑off: retaining an overseas star might strengthen the top of the lineup, but it also uses a premium slot and budget that may hamper bidding for domestic depth later. Conversely, retaining more domestic capped players (or uncapped) may give greater value.

Age, Form & Future Value

Given this is a rebuild phase, franchises may prioritise younger, longer‑term assets over older players whose peak may be past. For example, retaining a 36‐year‑old overseas all‑rounder will guarantee experience but reduce flexibility. Some teams may decide to utilise RTM and auction to pick such players back up if others undervalue them.

RTM as a Tool

The introduction of RTM adds strategic complexity. Suppose a franchise retires a big player this year to free up budget, but hope to buy her back via RTM at the auction when others bid her up. But there’s risk: someone else could out‑bid and you lose. Additionally, you might end up paying more than if you had retained direct. Use of RTMs requires precise forecasting of market behaviour.

Purse Management

With only ₹15 crore in the budget and deductions happening early, franchises must map out how much they will reserve for marquee players, how many slots to fill, and how much to leave for surprise buys or value picks. Also, paying a retained player more than the slab value eats further into budget — something franchises might avoid unless the player is indispensible.

Uncapped Indian Mandate (if full five retained)

If a team goes for full five retentions, they must have at least one uncapped Indian. This forces them to think long‑term — identify a promising young talent they want to keep. This drives developmental strategy: young Indian talent becomes a key retention asset.

Timeline & Key Dates to Watch

• 5 November 2025 – Deadline for all five franchises to submit their list of retained players.
• 18 November 2025 – Player registration deadline for the auction.
• 20 November 2025 – Final player pool list release by the governing body.
• 26–29 November 2025 – Mega auction window, with strong reports of 27 November at Aerocity, New Delhi.

Franchises will have to plan their retention announcements, then rapidly re‑orient to auction strategy based on budget, marquee targets, RTM strategy and released players.

Final Words

The WPL Retention 2026 is much more than a procedural step—it is a strategic inflection point. For teams, the decisions they make now will significantly shape their purse, squad composition, flexibility in the auction, and ultimately their competitive potential in the tournament. For players, retention (or release) will impact their value, role, and career direction within the league. For fans and the broader cricket‑ecosystem, the retention rules and the ensuing auction set the tone for how the league will evolve — balancing continuity and change, experience and youth, domestic talent and global stars.

As the deadline on 5 November looms, all eyes will be on the franchises to see how they play their hands. Will they lock in five and focus on stability? Or retain fewer and prioritise flexibility and surprise moves in the auction? Either way, the game‑theory is fascinating. The mega auction in late November awaits, and once the dust settles, we’ll see how the retention phase’s strategy translates into real‑world squads and ultimately performances on the field.

Related Blog: Harmanpreet Kaur Career Stats