Franchises in the Women’s Premier League may hold on to as many as five players before the 2026 mega auction, with the retention deadline fixed for 5 November and the bidding window pencilled in for 25-29 November. Those details were circulated to the teams on Thursday in a league-wide email seen by this writer.
Key numbers first. Each club starts with an auction purse of INR 15 crore (about £1.46 million). The moment a player is retained, the purse drops by a pre-set amount: INR 3.5 crore for the first retention, INR 2.5 crore for the second, INR 1.75 crore for the third, INR 1 crore for the fourth and INR 50 lakh for the fifth. Keep all five and you’re left with INR 5.75 crore to play with on auction day.
The limits are clear enough, too. As the note put it: “A maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players, and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players can be retained by each team.” At least one uncapped Indian must stay on the books if the full quota of five is used.
For the first time the right-to-match (RTM) card enters the WPL conversation. In short, it lets a side buy back one of its own 2025 players after another franchise wins the bid. You get up to five RTMs – unless you’ve already nailed down five retentions, in which case the privilege disappears. Four retentions leave one RTM; three retentions leave two, and so on.
A senior official involved in the discussions said the tweak is meant to “give clubs more flexibility without turning the auction into an arms race.” Another team analyst liked the balance: “Five retentions feel generous, but because the purse shrinks alongside it, nobody can hoard talent.”
There is a small escape hatch on price. The league will allow player and franchise to negotiate a different fee from the guideline slab, though any amount above the slab still comes straight off the purse. The floor for an uncapped Indian remains INR 50 lakh; it can rise if both parties agree.
Timeline in brief:
• 5 Nov – retention lists due
• 7 Nov – teams submit preliminary auction wish-lists
• 18 Nov – player registration closes
• 20 Nov – BCCI releases final auction pool
Delhi Capitals coach Jonathan Batty felt the earlier deadline helps planning: “Last year we were still scouting deep into November. This time we know where we stand well before Christmas.”
Not everyone is entirely relaxed. An unnamed franchise manager pointed to the shrinking purse for all-rounders: “If you hang on to three top players, you’re down to INR 7.25 crore before the hammer even starts. Good luck finding an overseas finisher in that bracket.”
The situation is not just about numbers, of course. The RTM option adds a tactical layer that coaches are already poring over. Do you retain a star outright or risk putting her back in the pool, hoping to use an RTM if the price climbs too high? Mumbai Indians captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted on a recent podcast that it is “the sort of puzzle that keeps the staff busy for weeks.”
As for the broader picture, the league is set for its fourth edition in 2026, and administrators remain bullish about steady growth rather than explosive expansion. One BCCI insider summed it up neatly: “We’re still in year four. Getting the mechanics right is more important than headline numbers.”
So, by early November we will know which big names stay put and which ones will tempt rival bidders. By late November the paddles go up, and another round of squad-building theatre begins – less glitz, perhaps, but plenty of decisions that could shape the next champion.
