With the Women’s Premier League (WPL) set for a major reset, attention has now turned to the WPL 2026 mega auction, tentatively scheduled for late November. The league has announced a revised retention framework ahead of the high-stakes event, allowing each franchise to retain up to five players before the auction.
As per reports in ESPNcricinfo, the retention window will close on November 5, by which franchises must submit their list of retained players. Two days later, on November 7, the complete pool of auction-eligible players will be released. The auction itself is expected to take place between November 25 and 29, pending final confirmation.
Under the new rules, teams can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players, within the overall limit of five. The structure is aimed at maintaining competitive balance—allowing franchises to hold on to marquee names while ensuring opportunities for emerging domestic talent.
For the first time, the Right to Match (RTM) option will be introduced, giving teams the ability to buy back a released player by matching the highest auction bid.
The upcoming mega auction promises a complete shake-up across the five franchises. While some underperforming teams are expected to pursue aggressive rebuilds, established outfits may look to preserve their core through the retention slots.
In 2025, franchises retained 71 players across the five teams, leaving just 19 spots to be filled through the auction. With a cap of five retentions this time, deeper roster reshuffles and intensified competition for auction spots appear inevitable.
Mumbai Indians (MI) are the defending champions, having also won the title back in 2023. Both times, they beat Delhi Capitals (DC) in the final. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the title last year, but failed to qualify for the Eliminator in both 2023 and 2025.
