WPL 2025 Mini Auction: All you need to know

The next season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is on the horizon, and we have a mini auction in two days at the ITC Gardenia Hotel in Bengaluru. 

Here, we have collated everything you need to know about the auction, the teams, and your expectations from the event. 

Let’s start with the basics

The mini-auction will be held on December 15 in Bengaluru from 3 PM. The auctioneer hasn't been announced. However, it can be safely assumed that Mallika Sagar, who controlled the hammer in the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction this year, will be back doing it. 

The teams announced their retention lists some time ago without much surprise. The five WPL teams have 19 slots to fill, including five overseas slots. The auction players list, which included 120 players, was released on December 7. The BCCI selected these names from a long list of more than 400 names based on information received from the franchises. 

Out of those, 91 are Indians (nine of them capped), and 29 are overseas cricketers. These 29 also included three players from Associate nations — Theertha Satish (UAE opening batter), Samaira Dharnidharka (UAE allrounder), and Sarah Bryce (Scotland wicketkeeper batter). 

Were associate players involved in the WPL before? 

Yes!

The WPL allows for teams to field five overseas players if one of them is from an associate nation. The Delhi Capitals had the services of Tara Norris in the first season, and the Gujarat Giants played Scotland's captain-cum-allrounder Kathryn Bryce in the second season. 

Notably, Kathryn is Sarah’s elder sister. 

What are the expectations from this auction? 

Since there are only 19 slots to fill, it will be a short auction. Further, only five overseas slots are available, so expect big names to go unsold again. Teams had 1.5 crore added to their purse before this so that they can splurge a bit more on their players. 

However, teams will look to fill specific slots, so expect some bidding battles. 

For example, the Capitals need a wicketkeeper batter who can also contribute with the bat. Similarly, Mumbai would want a backup for Yastika Bhatia, who has been concerned about injury. Nandini Kashyap, the wicketkeeper batter from Uttarakhand who’s the leading run scorer in the domestic T20 matches in India this year, will most probably be in high demand, and other teams won’t let the Capitals and Mumbai run away with her buy quickly. 

Who are the big overseas names this time?

Heather Knight, who was involved with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), will be under the hammer along with Deandra Dottin, who didn’t play last season after being picked by the Gujarat Giants. Both have registered themselves in the highest slab where bidding will begin from 50 lakh. 

Some other big overseas players in the auction pool include Lauren Bell (England pacer), Kim Garth (Australia pacer), Darcie Brown (Australia pacer), Nadine de Klerk (South African seam bowling allrounder), and Orla Prendergast (Ireland allrounder). 

Who are some of the capped Indian players in fray? 

Tejal Hasabnis, Maharashtra’s middle-order batter who recently made her India debut, might find a bidder in the auction. Smriti Mandhana, who also comes from the same state, needs a solid batter for her side, and Hasabnis can give her that option. 

Apart from her, Shubha Satheesh (top order batter who also bowls pace), Sushma Verma (wicketkeeper batter), Poonam Yadav (leg spinner), and Sneh Rana (off-spinning allrounder) are also some of the prominent capped Indians in the auction list. 

How are the teams looking prior to the auction? 

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Retained players: Jemimah Rodrigues, Meg Lanning, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Annabel Sutherland, Alice Capsey, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Sneha Deepthi

Purse remaining: 2.5 crore INR

Slots remaining: 4 (1 overseas)

Gujarat Giants (GG)

Retained players:  Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Harleen Deol, Dayalan Hemalatha, Tanuja Kanwar, Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Meghna Singh, Mannat Kashyap, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Sayali Satghare, Bharti Fulmali, Shabnam Shakil

Slots remaining: 4 (2 overseas)

Purse remaining: INR 4.4 crore

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Retained players: Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot Kaur, Saika Ishaque, Hayley Matthews, Chloe Tryon, Jintimani Kalita, Shabnim Ismail, Sajeevan Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, SB Keerthana

Slots remaining: 4 (1 overseas)

Purse remaining: INR 2.65 crore

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Retained players: Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Kanika Ahuja, Asha Sobhana, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Ekta Bisht, S Meghana, Sophie Molineux

Slots remaining: 4 (0 overseas)

Purse remaining: INR 3.25 crore

Note: Danni Wyatt-Hodge was traded by the UP Warriorz to RCB

UP Warriorz (UPW)

Retained players: Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma, Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy, Anjali Sarvani, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shweta Sehrawat, Kiran Navgire, Grace Harris, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, Saima Thakor, Gouher Sultana, Chamari Athapaththu, Uma Chetry

Slots remaining: 3 players (1 overseas)

Purse remaining: INR 3.9 crore

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