Predicting the top 5 most expensive buys at WPL 2026 auction ft. Deepti Sharma

The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 auction will be held on November 27 in Delhi. A total of 277 players have registered for the mega event, including 83 overseas players. All five teams will have a total of 73 slots to fill, including 23 slots for overseas players.

Eight players are part of the marquee set, including Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Sophie Ecclestone, Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Amelia Kerr, and Laura Wolvaardt.

UP Warriorz have the highest purse heading into the WPL 2026 auction with ₹14.50 crore, followed by the Gujarat Giants (GG) with ₹9 crore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) with ₹6.15 crore, Mumbai Indians (MI) with ₹5.75 crore, and Delhi Capitals (DC) with ₹5.70 crore.

That said, let us take a look at five players who could bag the most expensive bids at the WPL 2026 auction.

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#5 Kranti Gaud

Kranti Gaud, a young Indian pace bowler, was released by the UP Warriorz after the WPL 2025 season. She was part of the Indian team that recently won the Women's World Cup 2025. Being a 22-year-old playing her debut World Cup, she impressed on the global stage.

Kranti bagged nine wickets from eight matches at an economy of 5.73 with best figures of 3/20. Fresh from the successful campaign and having gained international experience, teams could certainly go after her for her ability to pick wickets with the new ball.

In 15 ODIs so far, she has picked up 23 wickets at an average of 28.60 and an economy of 5.78. Her best performance was a stunning 6/52 against England at Chester-le-Street.

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#4 Amelia Kerr

New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who is in the marquee set for the WPL 2026 auction, will be on the radar. Although she had an average World Cup 2025 campaign, scoring just 137 runs and picking up seven wickets, she brings a wealth of experience across international and T20 cricket.

While her performance dipped with the bat in the previous WPL edition, she delivered with the ball, bagging 18 wickets from 10 matches for MI. Being a reliable and experienced all-rounder with a successful record in the league, she could attract attention from multiple teams.

Kerr has played a key role in MI winning two titles, scoring 437 runs in 29 games with 40 wickets at an average of 17.90 and an economy of 7.64.

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#3 Sophie Ecclestone

England spinner Sophie Ecclestone is also the marquee set for the WPL 2026 auction. She was England's leading wicket-taker at the Women's World Cup 2025, bagging 16 scalps from seven matches at an average of 14.25 and an economy of 4.05.

Ecclestone is currently playing the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025 for the Adelaide Strikers and has picked up six wickets from as many games. Ecclestone has a solid record in the WPL. In 25 games so far, she has 36 wickets at an average of 18.38 and an economy of 6.68.

Moreover, she brings immense experience in T20Is. She has featured in 101 games and has 142 wickets at an average of 15.73. Ecclestone would be a solid addition to any team in the format.

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#2 Laura Wolvaardt

Star South African batter Laura Wolvaardt has also been placed in the marquee set. She had a phenomenal World Cup 2025, ending as the leading run-getter of the tournament. Wolvaardt scored 571 runs in nine matches at an average of 71.37 with two hundreds and three half-centuries.

She has been in excellent form in T20s as well, having scored 193 runs in six games at an average of 48.25 and a strike-rate of 122.15 with two fifties for the Adelaide Strikers in WBBL 2025. In 83 T20Is so far, she has piled on 2088 runs with a hundred and 12 half-centuries.

For teams looking for a solid top-order and in-form overseas batter, Laura Wolvaardt would be the perfect fit, given her rich vein of recent form in white-ball cricket.

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#1 Deepti Sharma

Star India all-rounder Deepti Sharma could be on the radar of multiple teams at the WPL 2026 auction. Her stocks have gone up following her brilliant all-round performance at the World Cup 2025. She played a massive role in India winning the tournament and was also named 'Player of the Series'.

Deepti scored a crucial 58 in the final and returned figures of 5/39. She ended the tournament with 215 runs and 22 wickets. While it is a different format, she could be a solid wicket-taking bowler who can also be a responsible batter down the order.

In T20Is, Deepti has scored 1100 runs from 129 games and has claimed 147 wickets at an average of 18.98 and an economy of 6.12.