Excitement is building for the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) as the deadline for player retention lists has passed. All five franchises have submitted their final selections, and the official retention list is expected to be unveiled on Thursday. This reveal will happen shortly after the fourth T20 international match between India and Australia concludes in Gold Coast, Queensland.
The upcoming mega auction, scheduled for November 27th in New Delhi, promises to be a pivotal event, with many high-profile players set to enter the bidding war. The WPL has outlined clear retention rules: franchises can retain up to three capped Indian players, two overseas cricketers, and two uncapped Indian players. A crucial stipulation mandates that if a team retains five players, one must be an uncapped Indian. The auction purse is capped at INR 15 crore.
Retention salary slabs are clearly defined, ranging from INR 3.5 crore for the top-retained player down to INR 50 lakh for the fifth. The Right to Match (RTM) facility will allow teams to secure players from their previous squads, though this option is limited to five RTMs per franchise. Purse deductions are linked to the number of retained players, with retaining five players costing INR 9.25 crore and retaining one player costing INR 3.5 crore. The number of RTMs available will depend on how many players a team chooses to retain, with fewer retentions granting more RTM opportunities. Franchises that select the maximum of five retentions will not have any RTM options.