By Rajdeep Saha | Oct 09, 2025 | 01:14 am
**BCCI Plans Mega Auction for Women’s Premier League Ahead of 2026 Season**
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to hold a mega auction for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises. This move aims to revamp the five teams ahead of the upcoming 2026 season. According to ESPNcricinfo, the franchises have been informally informed about this development, with the auction likely to take place by the end of November.
### Auction Specifics
Franchises are currently awaiting confirmation from the WPL on several key aspects related to the mega auction. These include retention numbers, auction purse, retention slabs, and the number of right-to-match (RTM) card options available to each team. All these decisions will be finalized by a WPL committee, but no information has been released yet regarding when the committee is expected to meet.
### About the WPL
Launched in 2023, the Women’s Premier League is the most lucrative event in women’s cricket. The Mumbai Indians Women were crowned the inaugural champions of this five-team league. The BCCI had earlier indicated that the next edition of the tournament would be held in the January-February window, although exact dates are yet to be announced.
### Franchise Feedback: Mixed Reactions
The decision to conduct a mega auction has elicited mixed reactions from franchises. Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), and Delhi Capitals have expressed opposition to the move, citing concerns that their hard work in building competitive squads over three seasons could be undone. These teams argue that destabilizing existing line-ups at this stage may affect the WPL brand’s growth.
On the other hand, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz support the revamp, seeing it as an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen their teams, especially after not having reached the finals yet.
### Retention Policy: Core Players to Stay
Despite the differing opinions, a WPL official has assured that teams will still be allowed to retain their core players. While the exact retention formula is yet to be finalized, it is expected that each franchise could retain at least five players ahead of the auction. The official also emphasized the importance of having five strong, competitive teams to enhance the overall brand value of the tournament.
### A Gamechanger for Women’s Cricket
The WPL has been hailed as a gamechanger for women’s cricket, particularly in terms of boosting monetary benefits for players. The league’s commercial success has seen a per-match value of approximately ₹7.09 crore (around $866,000) from 2023 to 2027. India’s star batter Smriti Mandhana was the first player to be bought at the inaugural WPL auction in 2023 and remains the most expensive buy at ₹3.2 crore (approximately $415,000).
As the WPL continues to grow in stature, the upcoming mega auction will play a crucial role in shaping the future of women’s cricket in India and beyond.
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*Stay tuned for more updates on the WPL and the mega auction details.*
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