WPL: Mandhana, Sciver-Brunt, Gardner retained for INR 3.5 crore; Harmanpreet gets INR 2.5 crore

UP Warriorz did not retain Deepti Sharma, the Player of the Tournament at the ODI Women's World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff

06-Nov-2025 • 4 hrs ago

6:22

WPL 2026 retentions: MI, DC splash the cash; UPW release Deepti and Healy

Mumbai Indians allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana and Gujarat Giants allrounder Ashleigh Gardner have been retained for the maximum price of INR 3.5 crore ahead of the 2026 Women's Premier League (WPL) auction.

The WPL officially released the list of players retained by the franchises on Thursday and Sciver-Brunt - not the captain Harmanpreet Kaur - was MI's first retention. RCB wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh was retained for INR 2.75 crore, the second-highest bracket, while Harmanpreet and Giants opener Beth Mooney were retained for INR 2.5 crore each. There were a few notable surprises in the retention list. UP Warriorz chose not to retain Deepti Sharma, the recent ODI World Cup's Player of the Tournament, holding on to only one player in Shweta Sehrawat. Among other major releases were Amelia Kerr, Alyssa Healy, and Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning.

As per WPL retention rules, franchises can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and at most two uncapped Indian players. If a franchise wanted to retain five players, at least one of them should be an uncapped Indian player. The WPL has for the first time given teams right-to-match (RTM) options at the auction to buy back a player who was part of their 2025 squad.

Each franchise has been allotted INR 15 crore to build their squad for WPL 2026. It is understood that the mega player auction will take place in Delhi on November 27.

Here's the full list of players retained by all five franchises:

Mumbai Indians

Players retained: Nat Sciver-Brunt - INR 3.5 crore, Harmanpreet Kaur - INR 2.5 crore, Hayley Matthews - INR 1.75 crore, Amanjot Kaur - INR 1 crore, G Kamalini - INR 50 lakh

Money spent: INR 9.25 crore; Purse remaining: INR 5.75 crore; No RTM option available

Notable players released: Amelia Kerr, Nadine de Klerk, Yastika Bhatia, Chloe Tryon, Shabnim Ismail

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Players retained: Smriti Mandhana - INR 3.5 crore, Richa Ghosh - INR 2.75 crore, Ellyse Perry - INR 2 crore, Shreyanka Patil - INR 60 lakh

Money spent: INR 8.85 crore; Purse remaining: INR 6.15 crore; One RTM option available

Notable players released: Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Sophie Molineux, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

What they said: "Her association with risk and how she faces pressure situations is exactly what we want in our batting order," new head coach Malolan Rangarajan said of retaining Ghosh. "And somebody we view with leadership potential as well."

Delhi Capitals

Players retained: Jemimah Rodrigues - INR 2.2 crore, Shafali Verma - INR 2.2 crore. Annabel Sutherland - INR 2.2 crore, Marizanne Kapp - INR 2.2 crore, Niki Prasad - INR 50 lakh

Money spent: INR 9.3 crore; Purse remaining: INR 5.7 crore; No RTM available

Notable players released: Meg Lanning, N Shree Charani, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy

What they said: "It's been really tough," DC head coach Gareth Batty told JioStar about not retaining Lanning. About who could now lead DC in WPL 2026, he said: "Jemimah's got a great captaincy record [in domestic cricket]. Obviously, Annabel Sutherland captains in WBBL as well. So there's lots of candidates out there. We also got the mega auction to come, so there's some candidates out there as well. So we're leaving our options open."

Gujarat Giants

Players retained: Ash Gardner - INR 3.5 crore, Beth Mooney - INR 2.5 crore

Money spent: INR 6 crore; Purse remaining: INR 9 crore available; Three RTM options available

Notable players released: Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield

UP Warriorz

Player retained: Shweta Sehrawat - INR 50 lakh

Money spent: INR 50 lakh; Purse remaining: INR 14.50 crore; Four RTM options available

Notable players released: Deepti Sharma, Alyssa Healy, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kranti Gaud, Chinelle Henry

What they said: "I feel the thought process from the think tank, from the support group, was more so to go in with a clean slate, try and have as much money in the purse, to make sure we can not only get the team that we feel we need to win that championship, but also get a lot of these players back in the auction, given the opportunity," Abhishek Nayar, newly appointed head coach, said. "But the thought process also behind having someone like a Shweta Sehrawat in the ranks and retaining her, was the faith this franchise has put into as a youngster playing three years, being someone who's played almost every game for us and being able to perform, and now going up the ranks in domestic cricket. We just felt we would love to have someone like that back in our set-up."

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