WPL 2027 Auction Schedule, Date, Time, Players List, Teams, Live info and more

Kochi is all set to host the Women’s Premier League player auction for the first time tomorrow, with proceedings due to begin in the evening at the Grand Hyatt. The mini-auction will see 146 players go under the hammer for 27 remaining slots across the five franchises ahead of the fifth edition of the competition, scheduled to run from 14 January to 7 February 2027. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the details earlier, positioning the event as a targeted opportunity for teams to complete their squads rather than a full mega-auction. Of the 146 shortlisted players, 119 are Indian, including 22 capped and 97 uncapped; 27 are overseas, involving 14 capped and 13 uncapped, including six from Associate nations. 

Twenty of the available slots are earmarked for Indian players and seven for overseas recruits. The highest base prices belong to England batter Sophia Dunkley and Australia all-rounder Sophie Molineux, both registered at Rs 50 lakh. Several others, including G Kamalini, Kiran Navgire, Heather Graham and Jess Jonassen, have set base prices of Rs 40 lakh. 

WPL 2027 Auction Schedule, Date, Time, Players List, Teams, Live info and more

Royal Challengers Bengaluru enter the auction as defending champions after their success in the previous season. All five franchises have already finalised retentions, leaving varying levels of flexibility and budget. UP Warriorz hold the largest remaining purse at Rs 3.75 crore and the most slots to fill (eight). Gujarat Giants have Rs 1.25 crore for three slots, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Rs 1.15 crore for five, Delhi Capitals Rs 1.10 crore for five, and Mumbai Indians the smallest purse of Rs 90 lakh for six slots. 

Key retained players give each side a strong core. UP Warriorz have kept captain Meg Lanning alongside Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone and Phoebe Litchfield. Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained captain Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh and others. Mumbai Indians kept Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews. Delhi Capitals retained Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Marizanne Kapp, while Gujarat Giants held on to Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine. Several notable names, including some experienced overseas players, were released and will be available in the auction pool. 

The auction comes after the retention deadline of 28 September 2026. Franchises retained a combined 63 players, including 23 overseas, leaving 27 openings that will be contested on Wednesday. Squads can contain a maximum of 18 players under a salary cap of Rs 15 crore, with no formal limit on the number of retentions. This structure allows teams that retained heavily, such as Gujarat Giants with 15 players, to focus on targeted additions, while those with more vacancies, notably UP Warriorz, have greater room to reshape their combinations. 

WPL 2027 Auction schedule: date, time, venue and more 

The WPL 2027 Auction is set to be held on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Kochi. The Auction is set to begin at 5:30 pm IST. A pre-show is expected to precede the main proceedings. 

WPL 2027 Auction live stream and telecast info: Where to watch in India? 

The WPL 2027 Auction live telecast will be available on the Star Sports Network, with streaming on the JioHotstar app and website.

The timing of the tournament places it immediately before the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, which is scheduled in India from mid-February. This compressed calendar means teams will have limited turnaround time between competitions, placing a premium on squad depth and balance secured at the auction. Venues under consideration for the league itself have included Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, both also linked to the Champions Trophy. 

Women’s cricket in India has grown rapidly since the WPL’s launch. It has grabbed everyone's attention with rising domestic talent, increased overseas interest and stronger commercial backing. The mini-auction format reflects the league’s relative maturity after an earlier mega-auction that filled a larger number of slots. Franchises will now prioritise specific needs, which include Indian batting depth, death bowling options, or overseas all-rounders who can impact both phases of the game. 

As the auction approaches, attention will focus on how the larger purses are deployed and whether any high-base-price overseas players trigger competitive bidding. UP Warriorz, with the biggest budget and most vacancies, are expected to be particularly active. The other sides will look to add complementary pieces without overspending. The event represents the final major squad-building step before the January start. Once the 27 slots are filled, the five teams will turn their attention to preparation for a compact season that could once again showcase the depth of women’s T20 cricket in India and beyond. 

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