5 surprise releases by teams ahead of WPL 2026 Auction ft. Deepti Sharma

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises have announced their retentions ahead of the 2026 mega auction, scheduled to take place in Delhi on November 27. The announcements were made on Thursday, November 6, with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) retaining five players: Nat Sciver-Brunt (₹3.50 crore), Harmanpreet Kaur (₹2.50 crore), Hayley Matthews (₹1.75 crore), Amanjot Kaur (₹1 crore), and the uncapped G Kamalini (₹50 lakh).

Similarly, 2025 runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) retained five players, including Jemimah Rodrigues (₹2.22 crore), Shafali Verma (₹2.22 crore), Annabel Sutherland (₹2.22 crore), Marizanne Kapp (₹2.22 crore), and the uncapped Niki Prasad (₹50 lakh).

The 2024 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) retained four players: Smriti Mandhana (₹3.50 crore), Richa Ghosh (₹2.75 crore), Ellyse Perry (₹2 crore), and Shreyanka Patil (₹60 lakh). Gujarat Giants (GG) kept only two overseas stars, Ashleigh Gardner (₹3.50 crore) and Beth Mooney (₹2.50 crore), while UP Warriorz (UPW) retained just one, Shweta Sehrawat (₹50 lakh).

In total, 17 players have been retained across the five teams, but several big names have been released, setting the stage for surprises at the WPL 2026 mega auction. On that note, here’s a look at five surprise releases by teams ahead of the WPL 2026 auction.

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5 surprise releases by teams ahead of WPL 2026 Auction

#1 Deepti Sharma

The first name on the list is India’s premier all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who recently won the Player of the Tournament award in the 2025 Women’s World Cup. She scored 215 runs and took 22 wickets in India’s maiden championship-winning campaign.

However, the 28-year-old has been released by the franchise. Deepti featured for UP Warriorz in the last three seasons and captained the team in the 2025 edition, with regular skipper Alyssa Healy missing due to injury. Under her leadership, the team endured a disappointing season, finishing last on the points table with just six points from eight games.

Looking at Deepti’s WPL record, she has appeared in 25 games, scoring 507 runs in 24 innings at an average of 28.16 and a strike rate of 117.63, including three fifties. The off-spinner has also taken 27 wickets at an average of 29.29, with a strike rate of 21.1 and an economy of 8.29.

Given Deepti’s recent form and her all-round abilities, her release comes as a surprise. However, the franchise still has the right-to-match (RTM) option at the auction to buy back the player.

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#2 Meg Lanning

In a surprising move, Delhi Capitals (DC) have released their skipper and former Australia batter Meg Lanning. Under her leadership, DC reached the final in all three seasons so far but failed to win the tournament on any occasion.

Across those three seasons, the 33-year-old featured in 27 games, scoring 952 runs at an average of 39.66 and a strike rate of 127.10, including nine fifties. Given Lanning’s brilliant record as both skipper and opener, her release comes as a major surprise, especially as DC will not have the right-to-match (RTM) option available, having retained five players.

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#3 Laura Wolvaardt

Next is South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt, who impressed everyone with her performances in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, where the Proteas finished as runners-up. She ended the tournament as the leading run-scorer, amassing 571 runs in nine innings at an average of 71.37 and a strike rate of 98.78, including three fifties and two hundreds.

Given her recent form and overall record, her release from Gujarat Giants comes as a huge surprise. Looking at Laura’s WPL record, the 26-year-old has featured in 13 games across three seasons, scoring 342 runs at an average of 26.30 and a strike rate of 125.73, including three fifties.

With her success as a leader and her prowess with the bat, Laura is expected to be one of the most sought-after players at the upcoming WPL auction.

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#4 Amelia Kerr

In another surprising release, defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have let go star New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr. The 25-year-old played a key role in Mumbai’s two title-winning campaigns during the first three seasons of the tournament.

Kerr has appeared in 29 games, scoring 437 runs at an average of 24.27 and a strike rate of 119.39, with a best score of an unbeaten 45. The leg-spinner has also taken 40 wickets at an average of 17.90, a strike rate of 14.0, and an economy of 7.64.

Given that Mumbai Indians now have just ₹5.75 crore left in their purse, it is highly unlikely that Kerr will feature for the defending champions in the 2026 WPL season.

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#5 Sophie Ecclestone

The final player on the list is England’s spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who has been released by UP Warriorz. The 26-year-old has been a match-winner for every team she has played for. In the three seasons so far, she has appeared in 25 games for UP Warriorz, taking 36 wickets at an average of 18.38, a strike rate of 16.5, and an economy of 6.68.

She has also scored 187 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of 121.42, batting lower down the order. Given her match-winning abilities, her release comes as a surprise, although the franchise might use their right-to-match (RTM) option to bring her back during the 2026 WPL mega auction.