WPL 2027 auction: Remaining purse, top players, available slots, team requirement, live streaming and key details

The stage is set for the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2027 Player Auction in Kochi, Kerala on Wednesday, October 28, giving opportunities to all five franchises to plug tactical holes and finalize their rosters. This follows the retention deadline of September 28, 2026, when the franchises retained 63 players (including 23 overseas). Each team operates under a Rs 15 crore salary cap.

While the bulk of the core squads were locked in during the retention window, this mini-auction presents high-stakes bidding battles for vital depth, emerging domestic talent, and match-winning overseas all-rounders.

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Key Auction Breakdown: Slots And Pool Size

A pool of 146 players has been shortlisted to contest just 27 available slots across the five teams:  

Total Available Slots: 27 (20 Indian, 7 Overseas)

Shortlisted Players: 146 (119 Indian, 27 Overseas)

Cap Distribution: 22 capped Indians, 97 uncapped domestic players, 14 capped overseas, and 13 uncapped/Associate nation players.

Remaining Purse and Available Slots by Team

Purses vary widely heading into the bidding room, with UP Warriorz holding the financial muscle to outbid competitors for top-tier targets.

Team                      Remaining Purse       Total Slots Left    Max Overseas Slots

UP Warriorz              Rs 3.75 Crore                   8                             3

Gujarat Giants          Rs 1.25 Crore                   5                             1

RCB                         Rs 1.15 Crore                   5                             1

Delhi Capitals          Rs 1.10 Crore                   5                             1

Mumbai Indians       Rs 90 Lakh                       4                             1

Highest base prices: 

Rs 50 lakh: Sophia Dunkley (England, batter) and Sophie Molineux (Australia, all-rounder).

Rs 40 lakh: G. Kamalini (India, wicketkeeper-batter), Kiran Navgire (India, batter), Heather Graham (Australia, all-rounder), and Jess Jonassen (Australia, all-rounder).

Rs 30 lakh: 30 players, including Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Grace Harris (Australia), Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Sneh Rana (India), and others.

Team Needs In Brief

UP Warriorz: Biggest purse and most slots. Need wicketkeeping cover, spin support alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma, and explosive hitters after releasing several overseas stars and Kiran Navgire. Captain Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield form a strong core.

Mumbai Indians: Focus on Indian players (especially a wicketkeeper-batter replacement for G. Kamalini) with a tight budget. Core includes Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, and the newly traded Tara Norris.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (defending champions): Two overseas slots open. Looking to strengthen the middle order and pace options around Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, and Ellyse Perry after releasing Grace Harris and others.

Delhi Capitals: Seek a top-order wicketkeeper-batter and spin support. Strong retained core includes Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, and Laura Wolvaardt.

Gujarat Giants: Fewest slots (only three). Likely targeting lower-order power and an experienced all-rounder. Strong retained group features Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Devine, and Renuka Singh.

Live Streaming And Broadcast Details

Date: October 28  

Venue: Kochi, Kerala  

Start Time: 5:30 PM IST (pre-show begins at 4:30 PM IST)

TV Broadcast: Star Sports Network (Star Sports SD/HD in English and Hindi)

Live Streaming: JioHotstar app and website

The auction process typically begins with capped players across categories (batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, pace, spin) before moving to uncapped talent.

With limited slots and a modest overall remaining purse, the WPL Auction 2027 in Kochi is expected to be tactical rather than a free-spending mega event.