Retention of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 is seemingly complete. The BCCI has set Wednesday 5 November as the deadline to confirm the list of retained and released players, with the auction scheduled for 27 November at Aerocity, New Delhi. Ahead of the official announcement, ESPNcricinfo has obtained the list of players who have retained their respective franchises.
All eyes were on Mumbai Indians (MI), the most successful side in the league’s short but rich history, having secured the title twice in 2023 and 2025. There was little around the Delhi Capitals (DC), who kept coming closer to glory but fell short of the title for three consecutive seasons.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans were equally nervous, especially after their first championship win in 2024, after two disappointing seasons where they failed to progress beyond the league stage.
Meanwhile, both UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants were expected to head back to the auction market for new talent in the hope of rebuilding and strengthening their squads after enduring mixed campaigns in the last three seasons.
With the retention window now closed and the auction on the horizon, here’s a look at how these five teams are shaping up ahead of WPL 2026.
Bombay Indians
Mumbai Indians faced a tough choice as they had to choose from players who have shone in both the WPL and the international scene. They retained Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews among their many all-rounders but had to release Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon and Nadine de Klerk due to the two foreign player limit. They also cannot use the RTM option because they have already completed their five holds.
Amanjot Kaur, fresh from the Women’s World Cup, has been retained while young batsman G Kamalini – the youngest WPL debutant last year – has also retained her place, reflecting the franchise’s faith in emerging talent.
Retained players: Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, G Kamalini
Players released: Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque, Yastika Bhatia, Shabnim Ismail, S Sajana, Amandeep Kaur, Keerthana Balakrishnan, G Kamalini, Nadine de Klerk, Sanskriti Gupta, Akshita Maheshwari, Parunika Vasso Siso
Left Wallet: INR 5.75 million
RTM left: 0
Capital Delhi
Delhi Capitals have parted ways with their charismatic captain Meg Lanning, which means the team will need a new leader for the upcoming season. As expected, they retained Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp – all of whom had excellent performances during the Women’s World Cup.
Among the uncapped players, Niki Prasad earned a retainer ahead of Uttarakhand’s dynamic batsman Nandini Kashyap. However, N Shree Charani was unlucky to be dropped despite taking 14 wickets in the World Cup, including a three-wicket haul.
Other notable releases include Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy and Jess Jonassen. Like the Mumbai Indians, the Delhi Capitals have exhausted their RTM options.
Retained players: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Niki Prasad
Released Players: Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatia, Titas Sadhu, N Shree Charani, Nandini Kashyap, Sarah Bryce
Left Wallet: INR 5.75 million
RTM left: 0
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bengaluru have smartly kept one RTM option in hand, anticipating that they might need it for Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Renuka Singh or the spectacular all-rounder Kanika Ahuja, known for her late-order fireworks. The retention of Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana was expected after their winning performances in the Women’s World Cup.
Despite not bowling in the tournament, Ellyse Perry was retained as a specialist batsman – a nod to her impact and record for the best bowling figures in WPL history. The franchise has also shown faith in Shreyanka Patil, the 2024 Purple Cap winner, even though she has battled many injury setbacks since then.
Retained players: Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil
Released players: Sabbineni Meghana, Georgia Wareham, Renuka Singh, Ekta Bisht, Kanika Ahuja, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Heather Graham, Kim Garth, Charlie Dean, Nuzhat Parween, Prema Rawat, Joshitha VJ, Jagravi Pawar, Raghvi Bisht, Sophie Crossob Devine and Ashu Ashu.
Left Wallet: INR 6.25 million
RTM: 1
UP Warriorz
The UP Warriorz have completely overhauled their squad and now head into the auction with the highest purse and the most RTM of any WPL team. In a bold move, they released captain Alyssa Healy, who missed the previous season with a leg injury, as well as world number one T20I bowler Sophie Ecclestone.
The franchise also made some surprise call-ups when they released Kiran Navgire – fresh from the fastest century in women’s T20s during the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy – and Chinelle Henry, who struck a joint-fastest WPL fifty last season.
Alana King, Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath were also dismissed. However, with four RTMs in hand, the Warriorz will have ample opportunity to get some of their key players back in the auction.
Retained players: Shweta Sehrawat
Released players: Alyssa Healy, Chinelle Henry, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Chamari Athapaththu, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Vrinda Dinesh, Poonam Khemnar, A Gorush King Saima Goanti Thakor, Al Gorushi
Left Wallet: INR 14.5 million
RTM: 4
Gujarat Giants
Gujarat Giants, who reached the Eliminator last season for the first time in three years, have taken some bold decisions ahead of the new campaign. Despite their progress, they retained only the Australian duo of Ash Gardner and Beth Mooney, while dismissing Laura Wolvaardt, who recently became only the second woman to score hundreds in both a World Cup semi-final and final.
Phoebe Litchfield, who smashed a century in the semi-final against India, was also released, along with power hitter Deandra Dottin and Kashvee Gautam, the most expensive uncapped player in 2024. With three RTMs available, the Giants still have a chance to bring some of these stars back into the auction.
Retained players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney
Released Players: Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt, Shabnam Shakil, Tanuja Kanwar, Phoebe Litchfield, Meghna Singh, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Mannat Kashyap, Sayali Sathgare, Simran Shaikh, Gikaandra Na Dottin, Daniel
Left Wallet: INR 9 million
RTM: 3
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
November 6, 2025
