The five franchises in the WPL are gearing up for a major overhaul, with the BCCI planning to hold a mega auction before the 2026 season. ESPN has learned that the franchises have been informally notified about the auction, which is expected to take place by the end of November.

Franchises are currently awaiting official details from the WPL regarding the number of player retentions allowed, the auction purse, retention slabs, and the number of right-to-match (RTM) cards available. These specifics will be decided by the WPL committee, though the date for their meeting is still unknown. The schedule for the 2026 tournament remains unconfirmed, though earlier indications suggested it will occur in the January-February window.

Since its launch in 2023, the five-team WPL has become the most lucrative event in women’s cricket. Mumbai Indians won the inaugural championship, while Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) claimed the title in 2024. Mumbai Indians are the defending champions.

Sources indicate that Mumbai, RCB, and Delhi Capitals teams that have reached the final in all three WPL seasons so far are not in favor of a mega auction. These franchises argue that they have dedicated significant effort to building their squads and that dismantling them just as the WPL brand gains momentum could be detrimental.

Conversely, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz support the mega auction. Both have never reached the final and are eager to rebuild their squads. A WPL official acknowledged the concerns of the three opposing franchises but stressed that maintaining five competitive teams is crucial to preserving the tournament’s reputation. The official also noted that franchises like RCB have demonstrated in the IPL their ability to maintain brand identity regardless of player retention, although star Indian player Virat Kohli’s presence has been a key asset.

The WPL will seek to balance these interests by allowing teams to retain a core group of players. While some teams want to retain six or seven players, the WPL is likely to set the retention limit closer to five. The retention framework will also clarify the number of RTM cards that teams can use during the auction, considering a mix of capped and uncapped players.

For comparison, in the 2025 IPL mega auction, franchises were allowed up to six retentions through a combination of direct retention and RTM. This included up to five capped players (both Indian and overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players. The RTM option enables teams to buy back a player by matching the highest bid made during the auction, although it has never been used in WPL auctions.

The WPL is regarded as a transformative development for women’s cricket, especially due to the financial benefits for players. In 2023, Viacom18 acquired the WPL broadcast rights for INR 951 crore (approximately USD 116.7 million) for the 2023-2027 period, with a per-match value of INR 7.09 crore (about USD 866,000). Indian star batter Smriti Mandhana, the first player bought in the inaugural WPL auction, remains the highest-paid player at INR 3.2 crore (around USD 415,000).