The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 season is taking shape with the player retention list set to be officially revealed on Thursday. This confirmation will come shortly after the completion of the fourth T20 international match between India and Australia, currently underway in Gold Coast, Queensland. Reports confirm that all five WPL franchises have submitted their final lists of retained players on Wednesday, the designated deadline.
This move precedes the mega auction, scheduled for November 27th in New Delhi, which will feature numerous prominent players. Franchises are allowed to retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players. A crucial rule dictates that if a team retains five players, one must be an uncapped Indian. The auction purse is fixed at INR 15 crore. Salary allocations for retained players are tiered: INR 3.5 crore for Player 1, INR 2.5 crore for Player 2, INR 1.75 crore for Player 3, INR 1 crore for Player 4, and INR 50 lakh for Player 5. The Right to Match (RTM) option allows teams to buy back their 2025 squad members, capped at five RTMs per franchise. Purse deductions are structured: INR 9.25 crore for five retentions, down to INR 3.5 crore for one retention. The number of RTMs will be higher for teams retaining fewer players, with no RTMs available if all five retention slots are used.