One player each team must look to buy back at WPL 2026 Auction ft. Sophie Ecclestone 

The Women's Premier League (WPL) franchises recently announced their retentions ahead of the 2026 mega auction, scheduled to be held on November 27 in Delhi. The teams had the provision of retaining a maximum of five players as the competition is set for a major shake-up for the first time since its inception.

It comes as a stark difference to the build-up ahead of the mini-auction, where franchises nearly retained their entire squad, and just looked to plug the holes and polish certain areas ahead of the new season. This time around, several franchises could not keep hold of their entire core, and had to make some sacrifices.

However, the auction dynamics is such that they could potentially buy the player back if they play their cards right, and if the budget and planning permit. On that note, let us take a look at one player each team must look to buy back at the WPL 2026 Auction.

#1 Mumbai Indians - Pooja Vastrakar

MI were among the franchises that went heavy with their retentions, and understandably so, as their squad lifted the title twice in three years. However, due to the restrictions, they were unable to retain their entire core, which leaves key players like Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, and Yastika Bhatia, among others, back into the auction pool.

The defending champions would ideally love to rope in all of those names, but due to the purse constraint, it would be an impractical proposition. But, if there is a player that MI can realistically go after to buy back is pacer Pooja Vastrakar.

MI have the task of building their seam bowling department from scratch, no frontline options among their retained players. The franchise might look to have an Indian candidate to spearhead the attack, and Vastrakar is the right candidate in terms of age, potential, and prowess.

She missed the WPL 2025 season due to injury, but has done enough with both bat and ball in previous campaigns to be part of MI's long-term plans.

#2 Delhi Capitals - Radha Yadav

DC have the joint-lowest purse remaining, along with MI, as they used up the maximum limit of five retentions. As a result, they cannot be over-ambitious when it comes to going after the star players they have released. The three-time runner-ups have let go of some big names like Meg Lanning, Alice Capsey, Jess Jonassen, and Arundhati Reddy.

However, the name that they should ideally be trying to bring back is spin all-rounder Radha Yadav. She has grown in stature since her first season, has amassed enough experience at the international level, and could be a vital cog for DC in their next cycle. She brings balance to her side with their all-round abilities, and on top of that, is one of the best fielders in the circuit as well.

DC have their pace core in Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp settled in their retention, while the batting core also takes care of itself with Shafali Varma and Jemimah Rodrigues, leaving the need for a lot of spinners.

#3 Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Sophie Molineux

RCB have struck the balance between retentions and purse remaining as they held onto four of their players. However, their retentions have largely been centered towards the batting department, leaving them the task of rebuilding their bowling unit from scratch. They have options like Renuka Singh Thakur, Georgia Wareham, and Kate Cross, to look towards, but they could head in a different direction and try to bring Sophie Molineux back as a bargain signing.

RCB already have a spinner in Shreyanka Patil, and adding Molineux back into the mix might form the bulk of their spin unit. The pair have the potential to thrive as a duo, as they have already proven their mettle together during RCB's triumphant 2024 WPL campaign. Furthermore, Molineux can feature as a floater for the side, given her handy ability with the bat.

She has been in a fine run of form since her return from injury, leading the Melbourne Renegades to the 2024-25 BBL title and also having a decent 2025 Women's ODI World Cup campaign.

#4 UP Warriorz - Sophie Ecclestone

UPW have the task of rebuilding their entire team from scratch, and have the luxury of almost a complete purse after retaining only an uncapped player in Shweta Sehrawat. In such a scenario, the franchise have the luxury of bringing back whoever they desire, and the name at the top of that list should be Sophie Ecclestone.

The England spinner was arguably the franchise's best player in their first cycle, and is third on the all-time wicket-takers in the WPL. She is ranked No.4 in the T20I ranking for bowlers, and has been consistent enough to thrive in any condition and situation.

The franchise also have other lucrative options in terms of buying back some of their star players like Deepti Sharma, Tahlia McGrath, or Grace Harris. But considering what Ecclestone offers, which is four secure overs with control, and guarantees wickets, the UP Warriorz should prioritise bringing a world-class talent like her back into the setup and rebuild the rest of the bowling unit around her.

#5 Gujarat Giants - Harleen Deol

GG are the only WPL franchise to not retain a single Indian player ahead of the mega auction. They have chosen to keep hold of the Australian duo of Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, giving them sufficient budget to revamp their squad and overcome their disastrous first cycle.

GG have let go of some massive names like Deandra Dottin, Phoebe Litchfield, and Laura Wolvaardt, but with two overseas batters already retained, that might not be the route GG take as far as buying back is concerned. And it is highly unlikely that they will be interested in bringing back any of their former bowlers given the fact that it never clicked over the course of three seasons. Since they are likely to start afresh in that regard, they are better off by trying to bring back an Indian batter as they need it in more ways than one.

A player that fits that profile is Harleen Deol. She is the third-leading run scorer of the franchise, and the highest among Indian players. Going from strength to strength in white-ball international cricket also helps her case, and so does her versatility. GG could use a core Indian player to forge their batting unit, and having a player already familiar with the setup could help their case in the next cycle.