Bidding War on the Backwaters: The stage is set at the waterfront Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty in Kerala as the five Women's Premier League franchises-Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and UP Warriorz-convene for the WPL Player Auction! Marking the first time Kochi has hosted a WPL auction, 146 shortlisted players (capped internationals, domestic stalwarts, and uncapped emerging stars) will go under the hammer to fill the remaining 27 squad slots. Follow every paddle raise, bidding duel, and team acquisition live on Willow by Cricbuzz.
Tactical Imperatives in Kochi With only 27 vacant spots available across the league, bidding will be sharp, surgical, and value-driven rather than an open spending spree. Teams will focus on addressing specific tactical voids:
Delhi Capitals (DC): Looking to reinforce lower-order boundary-hitting and domestic fast-bowling reserves to supplement Marizanne Kapp and Shafali Verma.
Gujarat Giants (GG): Armed with strategic purse flexibility under Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney; targeting middle-overs wicket-taking spin and top-order local batting depth.
Mumbai Indians (MI): Led by Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt; targeting explosive death-overs all-rounders and young Indian uncapped wicketkeeping options.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Led by Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh; hunting specialized overseas pace firepower and reliable middle-phase spin containment.
UP Warriorz (UPW): Prioritizing dynamic top-order stroke-makers and specialist finishers to complement their core spin strength.
Auction Rules & Structure Roster Caps: Squad size capped at a maximum of 18 players per franchise (minimum 15 players), with an upper limit of 6 overseas players.
Playing XI Overseas Restriction: Maximum of 4 overseas players in the playing XI (or 5 if one represents an ICC Associate Nation).
Price Brackets: Base prices categorized into tiers ranging from ₹10 Lakh and ₹20 Lakh (uncapped) up to ₹30 Lakh, ₹40 Lakh, and ₹50 Lakh (marquee capped internationals).
Accelerated Round: Following initial set-by-set bidding through capped batters, all-rounders, wicketkeepers, and bowlers, franchises will submit a wishlist of unsold/uncalled players for an accelerated bidding phase.