WPL 2026 Auction: Deepti Sharma and Renuka Thakur Lead Indian Challenge as Marquee Players

The countdown to women’s cricket’s most anticipated bidding war has begun. On November 27, 2025, New Delhi will host the first-ever mega auction of the Women’s Premier League, where 277 players will compete for just 73 available slots across five franchises. Leading India’s charge into this historic event are two stellar performers—all-rounder Deepti Sharma, listed at a base price of Rs 50 lakh, and pace sensation Renuka Thakur, who has set her reserve price at Rs 40 lakh.

Both Indian stars find themselves among eight elite cricketers in the marquee set that will kick off the WPL 2026 auction proceedings, alongside global superstars like Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Sophie Ecclestone, Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr, and Laura Wolvaardt. This positioning represents not just individual recognition but a testament to how Indian women’s cricket has risen to command premium valuation in the burgeoning T20 franchise ecosystem.

The Marquee Set: Where Champions Gather

The marquee player category represents the cream of women’s cricket—athletes whose performances have consistently delivered match-winning contributions and whose presence can transform franchise fortunes. The WPL 2026 auction will open with this exclusive eight-player group, creating immediate drama as franchises jostle to secure their cornerstone signings.

The base price distribution reveals strategic thinking from the players themselves. While six marquee players—including Deepti Sharma—have opted for the maximum reserve price of Rs 50 lakh, Renuka Thakur has set hers at Rs 40 lakh, and South African captain Laura Wolvaardt at Rs 30 lakh. This pricing strategy could influence bidding dynamics, potentially making Renuka and Wolvaardt more attractive to franchises with tighter purse strings or specific budget allocations.

Deepti Sharma: From World Cup Hero to Auction Headliner

Deepti Sharma enters the WPL 2026 auction riding an unprecedented wave of form and recognition. Fresh off being named Player of the Tournament at the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup—where she became the first cricketer ever to complete a double of 200 runs and 15 wickets in a single World Cup edition—Deepti represents the complete modern cricketer that every franchise craves.

Her credentials extend far beyond statistics. As captain of UP Warriorz during the previous WPL season (stepping in when Alyssa Healy withdrew due to injury), Deepti demonstrated leadership qualities that complement her on-field versatility. She bowls off-spin with tactical acumen that makes her effective across all phases of a T20 innings, bats with composure in pressure situations, and fields athletically anywhere in the ground.

Deepti Sharma’s Recent Achievements:

• 2025 ODI World Cup: Player of the Tournament (200+ runs, 15 wickets)
• WPL Captain: Led UP Warriorz in previous season
• Bowling Versatility: Defensive specialist used across all phases
• Batting Role: Middle-order stability and finishing capability
• Leadership: Proven captain at domestic and franchise level

The Rs 50 lakh base price reflects her premium status, but franchises will likely push this figure significantly higher. UP Warriorz, having released Deepti ahead of the auction but retaining four Right to Match (RTM) cards, could exercise one to bring their former captain back. However, with the franchise entering the auction with the tournament’s highest purse of Rs 14.50 crore, they might prefer to bid aggressively in the open market rather than trigger an RTM that allows competitors to raise the price further.

Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Gujarat Giants will all eye Deepti as a potential game-changer who provides balance, experience, and versatility—qualities that win T20 tournaments. Her ability to bowl in the powerplay, middle overs, and death, combined with batting flexibility, makes her arguably the most valuable Indian player in the auction pool.

Renuka Thakur: Swing Queen with Strategic Pricing

Renuka Singh Thakur’s presence in the marquee set recognizes her status as one of India’s most potent new-ball weapons. The right-arm medium-pacer’s ability to swing the ball both ways in powerplay overs has tormented opening batters across formats, making her an invaluable asset in T20 cricket where early wickets dramatically shift momentum.

Her Rs 40 lakh base price—lower than six other marquee players—represents a calculated gamble that could pay dividends. By pricing herself below the maximum, Renuka may attract broader interest from franchises who might have hesitated at Rs 50 lakh due to budget constraints. Once bidding begins, her actual sale price could still exceed Rs 50 lakh if multiple franchises recognize her match-winning potential.

Renuka Thakur’s Key Strengths:

• New Ball Specialist: Swing bowling expertise in powerplay
• Wicket-Taking Ability: Consistently picks early wickets
• Economical: Maintains pressure through dot balls
• Experience: Proven performer for India across formats
• Strategic Pricing: Rs 40 lakh base may attract more bidders

Renuka’s international record speaks volumes. Her ability to generate movement off the seam and through the air makes her particularly dangerous on Indian wickets that offer even minimal assistance. In T20 cricket’s powerplay-dominated meta, where the first six overs often determine match outcomes, Renuka provides a point of difference that few fast bowlers can match.

Like Deepti, Renuka previously played for UP Warriorz, meaning the franchise could deploy one of their four RTM options to reacquire her services. However, franchises like Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Rs 6.15 crore purse), Mumbai Indians (Rs 5.75 crore), and Delhi Capitals (Rs 5.70 crore) will all recognize that securing a frontline Indian pacer capable of powerplay impact is essential for building championship-contending squads.

The Auction Landscape: Numbers That Tell the Story

The WPL 2026 auction represents a watershed moment for women’s franchise cricket in India. As the tournament’s first mega auction—where teams could retain a maximum of five players before releasing the rest into the auction pool—it creates opportunities for strategic team-building that weren’t available in previous seasons.

The mathematics create compelling dynamics. With 277 players competing for 73 positions, only 26.4% of registered players will secure contracts—making this one of the most competitive auctions in women’s cricket history. The overseas player competition is even fiercer: 83 international cricketers vying for just 23 slots means only 27.7% will find teams.

These numbers have profound implications for pricing. Scarcity drives value, and with franchises knowing that missing out on a quality player in early rounds might leave them scrambling for inferior options later, bidding wars become inevitable—particularly for marquee players like Deepti Sharma and Renuka Thakur who offer rare combinations of skill, experience, and match-winning ability.

Base Price Brackets: The Auction’s Economic Structure

The WPL has established four base price brackets, allowing players to self-select their reserve valuation. This system creates interesting strategic choices: set your price too high and risk no franchise bidding; set it too low and potentially leave money on the table if multiple teams compete for your services.

WPL 2026 Base Price Distribution:

• Rs 50 lakh bracket: 19 players (including Deepti Sharma, Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy)
• Rs 40 lakh bracket: 11 players (including Renuka Thakur, Alana King)
• Rs 30 lakh bracket: 88 players (including Saika Ishaque, Priya Mishra, Laura Wolvaardt)
• Lower brackets: 159 players

Among Indian players in the highest Rs 50 lakh bracket alongside Deepti are Harleen Deol (formerly Gujarat Giants), Uma Chetry (Assam wicketkeeper from India’s World Cup squad), Pratika Rawal (opener), Pooja Vastrakar (all-rounder/pacer), and Kranti Gaud (UP Warriorz all-rounder). Each represents proven domestic performers hoping their IPL credentials justify premium pricing.

The Rs 30 lakh bracket features significant talent depth, including India’s spin bowling trio from Mumbai Indians’ championship runs—Asha Sobhana, Priya Mishra, and Saika Ishaque—along with experienced campaigners like Radha Yadav, Sneh Rana, and N Shree Charani. These players represent exceptional value propositions: proven performers available at mid-tier pricing who could become bargain acquisitions if franchises exhaust their purses on marquee players.

Franchise Purse Power: Who Can Spend What

The auction’s competitive landscape is shaped not just by player quality but by franchise financial firepower. Retention decisions made before the auction have created vastly different spending capacities across the five teams.

UP Warriorz’s staggering Rs 14.50 crore purse—more than double any other franchise—results from their bold decision to retain just one player: uncapped talent Shweta Sehrawat. This strategy, while risky, provides maximum flexibility to rebuild their squad around any combination of players they choose. With four RTM options available, they can target former players like Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy, and Sophie Ecclestone in the open auction, then match competing bids if desired.

Gujarat Giants’ Rs 9 crore purse and two RTMs represent the second-most financial firepower. Having retained only overseas stars Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, they released all Indian players including Harleen Deol, creating slots to rebuild their Indian core. They could aggressively pursue Deepti Sharma or Renuka Thakur to anchor their domestic contingent.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Rs 6.15 crore, 1 RTM) retained four players including captain Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, and Shreyanka Patil—a strong core that limits flexibility but provides championship-caliber stability. They’ll likely target specific gaps rather than pursuing multiple marquee players.

Mumbai Indians (Rs 5.75 crore) and Delhi Capitals (Rs 5.70 crore) both exhausted their retention quotas by keeping five players each, leaving no RTM options. As defending champions, Mumbai Indians retained their title-winning core but have modest financial resources to address gaps. Delhi Capitals, three-time runners-up, similarly backed continuity over flexibility. Both franchises must spend wisely, targeting value acquisitions rather than engaging in bidding wars for marquee players.

The Global Stars: International Marquee Competition

While Deepti Sharma and Renuka Thakur represent India’s finest, they face fierce competition from six international superstars in the marquee set, each bringing championship pedigrees and proven T20 credentials.

Meg Lanning enters fresh off a scintillating 135 not out for Melbourne Stars in the WBBL—a performance that reminded everyone why she’s considered one of cricket’s all-time greats. Released by Delhi Capitals after three seasons, Lanning’s leadership, batting class, and winning mentality make her an instant franchise cornerstone despite her Rs 50 lakh base price likely escalating to record-breaking figures.

Alyssa Healy, Australia’s wicketkeeper-captain, provides the rare combination of elite glovework, explosive batting, and leadership. Her absence from UP Warriorz due to injury in the previous season opens opportunities for other franchises to secure arguably the world’s best wicketkeeper-batter.

Sophie Ecclestone, England’s left-arm spinner and the world’s top-ranked bowler in multiple formats, offers match-winning spin that’s proven effective across conditions. Her ability to bowl in powerplay, middle overs, and death makes her as versatile as Deepti Sharma but from the bowling perspective.

Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, New Zealand’s dynamic duo, bring all-round firepower that franchises covet. Devine’s power-hitting and medium-pace bowling, combined with Kerr’s leg-spin and batting depth, represent complete T20 packages.

Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa’s captain, leads in an interesting market position. Her Rs 30 lakh base price—the lowest among marquee players—reflects strategic pricing that could trigger intense bidding. As an overseas batter without bowling contributions, she occupies a different profile than the all-rounders, potentially making her attractive to teams seeking pure run-scoring rather than multi-dimensional options.

Associate Nations and Rising Stars

Beyond marquee players, the auction features representation from cricket’s developing nations, highlighting the WPL’s growing global reach. Four players from Associate nations have registered: UAE captain Esha Oza, UAE wicketkeeper Theertha Satish, Thailand’s Thipatcha Putthawong, and USA’s Tara Norris.

Norris holds particular significance as the first bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in WPL history during her stint with Delhi Capitals in 2023. Her return to the auction pool demonstrates that exceptional performances—regardless of cricketing pedigree—earn recognition in the WPL ecosystem.

The absence of players from Ireland and Scotland (whose wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce played for Delhi Capitals last season) reflects either lack of availability or strategic decisions not to register. Bangladesh’s contingent of Marufa Akter, Shorna Akter, and Rabeya Khan (all at Rs 30 lakh base price) represents that nation’s growing investment in franchise cricket exposure.

Sri Lanka’s representation through Chamari Athapaththu, Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Inoka Ranaweera adds experience, with Athapaththu having previously featured for UP Warriorz. These players provide mid-tier overseas options for franchises looking to fill depth rather than headline positions.

The Uncapped Indian Talent Pool

While marquee players command attention, the WPL’s impact on Indian cricket development manifests most clearly in opportunities for uncapped talent. Of 194 Indian players registered, 142 are uncapped—young cricketers for whom a WPL contract represents life-changing opportunity to train with international stars, earn significant income, and fast-track their development.

Franchises have shown willingness to invest in uncapped potential. UP Warriorz’s retention of Shweta Sehrawat—paying her Rs 50 lakh despite uncapped status—demonstrates confidence in youth. This approach creates auction intrigue: will other uncapped talents command similar valuation based on domestic performances, or does Sehrawat’s retention represent an outlier?

The auction’s structure allocates 50 slots for Indian players, meaning 50 of the 194 registered Indians will secure contracts—a 25.8% success rate. For uncapped players competing for perhaps 25-30 of those slots (assuming franchises fill 20-25 with capped Indians), the odds become daunting. Yet the WPL’s track record shows that breakout domestic performers can command respectable prices, particularly if they fill niche roles like spin bowling or wicketkeeping depth that franchises prioritize.

Strategic Considerations: What Franchises Need

Each franchise enters the auction with different roster gaps, financial constraints, and strategic philosophies that will shape their bidding behavior. Understanding these dynamics helps predict where Deepti Sharma, Renuka Thakur, and other marquee players might land.

UP Warriorz (Rs 14.50 crore, 4 RTMs): Having released virtually their entire squad, they need everything—leadership, all-rounders, bowlers, batters. Their massive purse allows aggressive pursuit of multiple marquee players. Deepti Sharma, as their former captain, represents an obvious target, as does Alyssa Healy. However, they must balance star acquisitions with building sufficient depth across 18 roster spots.

Gujarat Giants (Rs 9 crore, 2 RTMs): With only overseas players Gardner and Mooney retained, they desperately need Indian batting and bowling cores. Deepti Sharma would provide leadership and all-round ability. Renuka Thakur fills a critical pace bowling need. Harleen Deol, their former player now available, could return via RTM. Their strategy likely involves securing 2-3 premium Indians then filling depth economically.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Rs 6.15 crore, 1 RTM): With Mandhana, Ghosh, Perry, and Patil retained, they possess batting and spin depth but lack frontline pace. Renuka Thakur perfectly addresses this gap. Their moderate purse requires selective bidding—identifying one or two priority targets rather than competing for multiple marquee players.

Mumbai Indians (Rs 5.75 crore, 0 RTMs): As defending champions, they’ve retained continuity but need to address specific gaps in their title-winning formula. Their budget constraints mean they’ll likely target mid-tier all-rounders and specialist bowlers rather than engaging in marquee bidding wars.

Delhi Capitals (Rs 5.70 crore, 0 RTMs): Three-time runners-up seeking breakthrough championship, they’ve retained five players including captain Meg Lanning’s replacement. With the tournament’s smallest purse, they must be surgical in their acquisitions, targeting value players who fit specific system needs rather than marquee stars.

Read More: WPL 2026 Expected to Begin in January: Women’s Premier League Reportedly Set for Mumbai and Baroda

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