WPL 2026: Franchises Allowed to Retain Up to Five Players Ahead of November Mega Auction

WPL 2026: Franchises Allowed to Retain Up to Five Players Ahead of November Mega Auction

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has announced key details for the mega auction ahead of its fourth season, set to take place in 2026. Franchises will be allowed to retain a maximum of five players, with the deadline for submitting retention lists set for November 5, 2025.

According to communication sent to teams on Thursday, franchises can retain:

  • Up to three capped Indian players

  • Up to two overseas players

  • Up to two uncapped Indian players

However, if a franchise retains five players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player.

Right to Match Introduced

For the first time in WPL history, franchises will be able to use the Right to Match (RTM) option during the auction. This allows teams to buy back a player from their 2025 squad during the bidding process. Each team can use a maximum of five RTMs, although this number reduces based on how many players are retained:

  • 5 retentions: 0 RTMs

  • 4 retentions: 1 RTM

  • 3 retentions: 2 RTMs

  • 2 retentions: 3 RTMs

  • 1 retention: 4 RTMs

Auction Purse and Player Slabs

The WPL has fixed the auction purse at INR 15 crore per franchise. Deductions from this purse will be made based on the number of retentions:

Retained Players Purse Deduction
5 Players INR 9.25 crore
4 Players INR 8.75 crore
3 Players INR 7.75 crore
2 Players INR 6 crore
1 Player INR 3.5 crore

The guideline salary slabs for retained players are as follows:

  • Player 1: INR 3.5 crore

  • Player 2: INR 2.5 crore

  • Player 3: INR 1.75 crore

  • Player 4: INR 1 crore

  • Player 5: INR 50 lakh

Franchises are allowed to negotiate salaries different from the slab amounts, but any amount exceeding the slab will be deducted from their total purse.

A minimum of INR 50 lakh has been set for uncapped Indian players, though actual salaries may be higher based on negotiations between players and teams.

Key Auction Dates

  • November 5: Deadline for submitting retention lists

  • November 7: Deadline for franchises to submit player lists for the auction

  • November 18: Last date for player registration

  • November 20: BCCI to release final auction player list

  • November 25–29: Auction window

The 2026 WPL season promises to be even more competitive, with the mega auction reshaping team dynamics and the RTM feature adding a strategic twist.