WPL 2027 Retained Players are now confirmed, and the five franchises have chosen very different paths into the next auction. Gujarat Giants kept 15 players, while Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz retained 11 each. Across the league, 63 players remain under contract and 27 squad positions are open. The WPL 2027 auction will be held in Kochi on 28 October, before the season runs from 14 January to 7 February 2027.
WPL 2027 Retained Players: quick team view
The numbers show how much freedom each side has at the WPL 2027 auction. A larger retained group brings continuity; a larger purse and more vacancies create room for a more substantial reset.
| Team | Retained | Overseas | Purse available | Open slots | Overseas slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi Capitals | 13 | 5 | ₹1.10 crore | 5 | 1 |
| Gujarat Giants | 15 | 5 | ₹1.25 crore | 3 | 1 |
| Mumbai Indians | 11 | 5 | ₹1.00 crore | 7 | 1 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 13 | 4 | ₹1.15 crore | 5 | 2 |
| UP Warriorz | 11 | 4 | ₹3.65 crore | 7 | 2 |
| Total | 63 | 23 | ₹8.15 crore | 27 | 7 |
WPL 2027 Retained Players by team
These chapters move beyond a name list. For each franchise, PitchVaani identifies the retained players who shape the batting, bowling, wicketkeeping or leadership structure, then explains what those decisions change at the auction. Complete official lists remain available inside every team section.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The defending champions retain leadership, wicketkeeping and all-round options. Two overseas slots give RCB more flexibility than several rivals when the auction begins.
Smriti Mandhana
Why this retention matters
RCB protect the player around whom their Indian batting identity and leadership structure are organised.
What it changes for 2027
The auction can focus on complementary roles instead of searching for a new opening and leadership anchor.
Richa Ghosh
Why this retention matters
Ghosh covers two scarce jobs: wicketkeeping and high-impact middle-order batting.
What it changes for 2027
Keeping both functions in one squad place creates more freedom when RCB allocate their remaining five slots.
Ellyse Perry
Why this retention matters
Perry offers experience and genuine value in more than one discipline, even when her exact match role changes.
What it changes for 2027
RCB preserve a flexible overseas building block rather than entering the auction needing separate batting and bowling replacements.
View all 13 retained players
- Arundhati Reddy
- Ellyse Perry
- Georgia Voll
- Lauren Bell
- Nadine de Klerk
- Pooja Vastrakar
- Prathyoosha Kumar
- Prema Rawat
- Radha Yadav
- Richa Ghosh
- Sayali Satghare
- Shreyanka Patil
- Smriti Mandhana
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai kept an elite multi-skill core but have seven vacancies and the smallest purse. Value buys and Indian depth are therefore central to their WPL 2027 auction.
Harmanpreet Kaur
Why this retention matters
Mumbai retain an established Indian leader and a batter familiar with their pressure roles.
What it changes for 2027
The smallest auction purse does not have to be spent solving captaincy or rebuilding the middle-order identity.
Natalie Sciver-Brunt
Why this retention matters
Her ability to influence both innings makes her one of Mumbai's most structurally valuable overseas players.
What it changes for 2027
A single retention covers top-order power and a bowling option, helping MI stretch a limited purse across seven vacancies.
Amelia Kerr
Why this retention matters
Kerr gives Mumbai leg-spin, lower-order batting value and tactical flexibility across different surfaces.
What it changes for 2027
With Kerr and Hayley Matthews retained, MI can build around two multi-skill overseas options rather than start again.
View all 11 retained players
- Amanjot Kaur
- Amelia Kerr
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Hayley Matthews
- Natalie Sciver-Brunt
- Nicola Carey
- Rahila Firdous
- Sajeevan Sajana
- Sanskriti Gupta
- Shabnim Ismail
- Vaishnavi Sharma
Delhi Capitals
Delhi have preserved a deep batting and all-round base. With only ₹1.10 crore and five places open, the auction is more about completing role coverage than rebuilding the core.
Jemimah Rodrigues
Why this retention matters
Delhi keep an Indian batting focal point who can connect the powerplay and middle overs.
What it changes for 2027
Her retention reduces the need to chase leadership and top-order stability with only ₹1.10 crore available.
Shafali Verma
Why this retention matters
Shafali preserves Delhi's aggressive powerplay option and a familiar opening role.
What it changes for 2027
The franchise can use the auction to add balance around its top order instead of trying to recreate its attacking intent.
Marizanne Kapp
Why this retention matters
Kapp contributes new-ball skill, batting experience and match-up flexibility.
What it changes for 2027
Retaining Kapp alongside Annabel Sutherland gives Delhi multiple ways to construct a balanced XI.
View all 13 retained players
- Annabel Sutherland
- Chinelle Henry
- Deeya Yadav
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Laura Wolvaardt
- Lucy Hamilton
- Mamatha Madiwala
- Marizanne Kapp
- Minnu Mani
- N Sree Charani
- Nandni Sharma
- Niki Prasad
- Shafali Verma
UP Warriorz
UP Warriorz have the largest purse and seven openings. Their retained group supplies leadership, spin and Indian all-round value, while the auction can reshape the remaining balance.
Meg Lanning
Why this retention matters
Lanning supplies strategic experience and a proven top-order presence to a squad with room for major change.
What it changes for 2027
UPW can spend the league's largest purse on role gaps rather than first having to identify a leadership centre.
Deepti Sharma
Why this retention matters
Deepti offers spin, batting depth and an Indian core role that is difficult to replace in one auction purchase.
What it changes for 2027
Her retention lets UPW be more selective with overseas combinations and specialist bowling choices.
Sophie Ecclestone
Why this retention matters
Ecclestone keeps an elite specialist role inside a squad otherwise positioned for significant auction movement.
What it changes for 2027
The Warriorz can build supporting pace and batting around a known frontline spin option.
View all 11 retained players
- Deepti Sharma
- Harleen Deol
- Kranti Gaud
- Meg Lanning
- Phoebe Litchfield
- Pratika Rawal
- Shikha Pandey
- Shipra Giri
- Simran Shaikh
- Sophie Ecclestone
- Tara Norris
Gujarat Giants
Gujarat retained the largest group. Their three openings and one overseas place encourage precise, role-specific bidding rather than a broad auction rebuild.
Beth Mooney
Why this retention matters
Mooney combines an experienced top-order role with wicketkeeping flexibility.
What it changes for 2027
Gujarat enter the auction with two major structural questions already covered by one retained player.
Ashleigh Gardner
Why this retention matters
Gardner gives the Giants power, off-spin and the ability to alter their combination without changing personnel.
What it changes for 2027
Her multi-skill value is especially important because Gujarat have only three vacancies to refine an already large squad.
Renuka Singh
Why this retention matters
Renuka preserves an Indian pace role and new-ball capability within the retained group.
What it changes for 2027
The Giants can direct their limited auction activity toward complementary depth instead of bidding under pressure for Indian pace.
View all 15 retained players
- Anushka Sharma
- Ashleigh Gardner
- Beth Mooney
- Bharti Fulmali
- Georgia Wareham
- Happy Kumari
- Jintimani Kalita
- Kanika Ahuja
- Kashvee Gautam
- Kim Garth
- Rajeshwari Gayakwad
- Renuka Singh
- Sophie Devine
- Tanuja Kanwer
- Yastika Bhatia
What the retention decisions mean before the WPL 2027 auction
Gujarat start closest to a finished squad
Fifteen retained players leave only three vacancies. That limits volume but allows the Giants to pursue highly specific roles.
Mumbai must stretch the smallest purse
MI have seven slots but only ₹1 crore. Their established core reduces risk, yet the remaining additions must be economical.
UP Warriorz can reshape the most
Seven vacancies, two overseas places and ₹3.65 crore give UPW the widest range of auction choices.
RCB have two foreign slots open
The champions retained four overseas players, so their auction can add two more while preserving Mandhana, Ghosh and Perry as central pieces.
Delhi kept multi-skill options
Kapp, Sutherland and a deep top-order group mean DC can target gaps rather than replace the spine of the squad.
Several proven names return
Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Grace Harris, Sneh Rana, Deandra Dottin and Saika Ishaque are among the names released before the auction.
Released players who enter the auction conversation
The official released list contains 29 names, including replacement players from the previous season. The roster calculation remains 27 open positions because the five squads can hold a combined maximum of 90 players and 63 were retained.
| Team | Released players |
|---|---|
| Delhi Capitals | Alana King, Eddla Srujana, Lizelle Lee, Pragati Singh, Sneh Rana, Taniyaa Bhatia |
| Gujarat Giants | Ayushi Soni, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Shivani Singh, Titas Sadhu |
| Mumbai Indians | G Kamalini, Milly Illingworth, Nalla Reddy, Poonam Khemnar, Saika Ishaque, Triveni Vasistha |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | D Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Grace Harris, Linsey Smith |
| UP Warriorz | Amy Jones, Asha Sobhana, Charli Knott, Chloe Tryon, Deandra Dottin, G Trisha, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Suman Meena |
WPL rules and why squad balance matters in T20 cricket
WPL rules set three important boundaries for auction planning. Each team can carry no more than 18 players, no more than six may be overseas signings, and each franchise works within a ₹15 crore salary cap. Those limits make role combinations important in T20 cricket: a wicketkeeper who bats in the top six or an all-rounder who completes four overs can free another place for a specialist.
What happens after the retention deadline?
All five franchises submitted their final retained groups.
The player auction is scheduled at the Grand Hyatt Kochi.
The fifth WPL edition is scheduled to start.
The announced tournament window closes.
The auction pressure is not equal
Retention totals alone do not identify a “winner.” Gujarat have the most continuity, but only three slots to adjust their combination. UP Warriorz carry the greatest spending power and flexibility, but also more positions to solve. Mumbai’s challenge is the reverse: seven places must be filled with the smallest available purse. The most effective auction will be the one that converts money and vacancies into complementary roles—not simply the most recognisable names.
WPL 2027 Retained Players FAQs
How many players were retained for WPL 2027?
The five franchises retained 63 players, including 23 overseas players.
When and where is the WPL 2027 auction?
The auction is scheduled for 28 October 2026 at the Grand Hyatt Kochi.
Which team has the largest auction purse?
UP Warriorz have ₹3.65 crore available, the largest purse among the five teams.
Which team retained the most players?
Gujarat Giants retained 15 players and have three roster places open.
When will WPL 2027 be played?
The fifth season is scheduled from 14 January to 7 February 2027.
Data note: Retained names, auction purses, slots and dates were checked against official WPL/BCCI advisories dated 16 and 28 September 2026. Player roles are used only for editorial squad-balance analysis.
