WPL 2026 retentions: Purse, rules, price slab, mega auction dates and all you need to know
The Women's Premier League (WPL) retentions will take place on November 5, followed by the mega auction on November 27 in New Delhi.
New Delhi: After the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup, the spotlight will shift to the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India. The tournament's retentions are set to take place on Wednesday, November 5.
All eyes will be on the five franchises - Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), Gujarat Giants (GG), and UP Warriorz (UPW). Mumbai enter the retention process as defending champions, having defeated DC in last season's final.
DC are expected to retain most of its core players, though there is uncertainty over Meg Lanning's return. The Australian star has led the franchise to three consecutive finals, and her potential absence could massively influence their plans. RCB had a disappointing campaign last season, failing to qualify for the playoffs, but they will be eager to regroup and bounce back.
Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz are still looking to win their maiden title, and they are expected to take some bold decisions on player retention as they look to build a competitive squad. This year's retentions will also see the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) card in the WPL.
The WPL 2026 auction is set to take place on November 27 at a hotel in Aerocity, New Delhi, where franchises will look to finalise their combinations for the 2026 season.
Player retentions
Each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of five players ahead of the mega auction. Teams can retain up to three capped Indian players, two overseas players, or two uncapped Indians. If a team opts to retain five players, at least one must be an uncapped player.
Team purse and player retention slab
Each WPL franchise will have a purse of Rs 15 crore to rebuild its squad for the 2026 season.
Retention 1 - Rs 3.50 crore
Retention 2 - Rs 2.50 crore
Retention 3 - Rs 1.75 crore
Retention 4 - Rs 1 crore
Retention 5 - Rs 50 lakh
If a franchise retains five players, Rs 9.25 crore will be deducted from their purse, and they will not be allowed to use RTM. Teams retaining four players will have 8.75 crore deducted and get one RTM, while those retaining three will have two RTMs available and so on.
The deadline for player registration is November 18, and the final list of players for the auction will be shared by the BCCI on November 20.