WPL Mega Auction 2026: All You Need to Know

The franchise T20 season in India will begin with the Women’s Premier League (WPL) followed by the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2026. Although the tournaments are still some months away, they are already in the news due to the auctions that can reshape the participating teams.

Initially, the focus will be on WPL and all eyes will be on its auction. The Women's Premier League has grown leaps and bounds ever since its arrival and is one of the most watched tournaments in India. The tournament features some of the best women cricketers in the world every year.

WPL Auction 2026 Schedule

In a latest development, as per the reports in Cricbuzz, it is learned that WPL auction is all set to take place in Delhi later this year. Although, there is no official confirmation, it is learned that all the franchises have been told informally about the likely venue. The WPL auction 2026 dates are likely to be around November 26-27.

Earlier, it was reported that the auction would take place between November 26 and 29 but now, a new window has been finalised. The reports also highlight that the WPL mega auction 2026 will conclude in just one day. Since there are only five teams in the tournament and a maximum squad size of each team being 18 players, the auction won’t take too much time as only 90 players are likely to be auctioned.

Where to Watch WPL Auction 2026?

The WPL 2026 auction is around the corner and many have been wondering about where they can watch it. The WPL 2026 auction live streaming will be on Sports 18 in on TV. JioHotstar will stream the auction live online. The tournament has grown into one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world and is likely to attract a record audience next year.

Other Important Details for WPL 2026 Auction

The WPL franchises have been asked to submit their list of retained players by November 5 ahead of the auction. Each team is allowed to maximum of five players and if a side uses all five retentions, it will see them using INR 9.25 crore.

For the first retention, the team is allowed to spend 3.5 crore for the No. 1 player, 2.5 crore for the second player, 1.75 crore for the third, 1 crore for the fourth retention and 50 lakh for the fifth player retained. In the auction, all the teams have a purse of INR 15 crore and it will be reduced based on how many players a team retains.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently released a statement on the guideline price, which is for the salary cap calculations. "While the amount paid to an individual player may differ from the guideline price, the total amount based on the number of players retained will be used for salary cap calculation," the BCCI said in a recent note to the franchises.

According to the auction rules, a team can retain a maximum of two uncapped players, three capped Indian players and not more than two overseas players.

Teams will also be allowed five RTMs during the auction but it will depend on the number of players retained by the franchises. For every retention, a franchise will lose one RTM. For example, if the team retains five players, they will have zero RTMs and the team which retains zero players will have five RTMs.