Deepti Sharma emerged as the joint second-most expensive player in the history of the tournament in one of the most thrilling moments of the WPL 2025 mega auction in Delhi. UP Warriorz used their RTM card to buy her back for INR 3.2 crore (USD 360,000) after Delhi Capitals had initially bid for her.
Ironically, Deepti had remained unsold at her base price of INR 50 lakh till DC made a late move for her. The moment DC bid INR 3.2 crore, UPW matched the amount to retain their premier all-rounder. If they had retained her ahead of the auction, the team would have lost INR 3.5 crore from their purse.
Alyssa Healy Goes Unsold Early; Sophie Devine Sells First
Well, the auction began rather surprisingly. Australian star Alyssa Healy remained unsold in the first round, although she may return in the accelerated phase.
The first successful bid for the day was for New Zealand power-hitter Sophie Devine, who was bought by Gujarat Giants, aka GG, for INR 2 crore, approximately USD 220,000.
MI Make Striking Move for Amelia Kerr
The first and only early purchase by the Mumbai Indians was New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr for INR 3 crore, approximately USD 340,000.
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With no RTM cards available due to previous retentions, MI utilized more than half of their INR 5.75 crore purse to bring Kerr back into their setup.
Other Major Marquee-Set Buys
The marquee players attracted much interest across teams:
Renuka Singh to GG for INR 60 lakh (USD 70,000)
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Sophie Ecclestone to UPW for INR 85 lakh (USD 100,000) via RTM
Meg Lanning to UPW for INR 1.9 crore (USD 210,000)
Laura Wolvaardt to DC for INR 1.1 crore (USD 120,000)
RCB made attempts to bid for Devine, Ecclestone, and Wolvaardt but made no signing of marquee players.
RCB Strengthen Squad in Later Sets
RCB’s auction momentum started in the second set as they bought Australian batter Georgia Voll for INR 60 lakh. They followed this with the strategic allrounder picks of Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav from the third set.
UPW Continue Building a Strong Core
Already boosted by the return of Deepti Sharma and the addition of Lanning, UPW expanded their squad with:
Phoebe Litchfield for INR 1.2 crore (USD 130,000)
RTM buy Kiran Navgire for INR 60 lakh
However, they missed out on India’s rising spin talent Sree Charani, who was snapped up by DC for INR 1.3 crore.
Historical Context: Deepti Sharma Equals Record in 2023
The highest-ever WPL auction bid remains Smriti Mandhana at INR 3.4 crore, followed by the 2023 signings of Ashleigh Gardner and Nat Sciver-Brunt at INR 3.2 crore now matched by Deepti Sharma in 2025.
UPW Management on Their Auction Strategy UPW COO Kshemal Waingankar cited that the team wanted to start afresh with their new head coach. The retention of Deepti Sharma, buying back Sophie Ecclestone, and signing of Meg Lanning were part of that core strategy. The leadership decisions-including captaincy-will be concluded when the full squad structure is considered.
WPL 2026 Season Schedule
The 2026 Women’s Premier League season is all set to run from January 9 to February 5, with matches held in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.
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