The mega auction ahead of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 took place today, and all five teams tried to build their squads for the next edition. The fourth season of the competition is set to be played from January 9 to February 5 next year, and the defending champions Mumbai Indians, will have Amelia Kerr playing for them again. They churned out a massive amount of Rs 3 crore for the New Zealand all-rounder early in the auction and it remained the second most expensive pick of the event. Here's the list of top 5 most expensive players in the WPL auction 2026:
Here's the list of top 5 most expensive players in the WPL auction 2026:
1. Deepti Sharma - Rs 3.2 crore (UPW) - RTM
Deepti Sharma got a massive 540% hike in her salary for the upcoming WPL season. She earned Rs 50 lakh in each of the last three seasons and was released by the UP Warriorz ahead of the mega auction. However, the same team shelled out Rs 3.2 crore via RTM for the all-rounder at the auction, making her the most expensive player of the event.
2. Amelia Kerr - Rs 3 crore (MI)
New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr will continue to play for the Mumbai Indians, as the two-time champions managed to get her back, winning the bidding war with none other than UP Warriorz, who had an excellent auction. Kerr played for Mumbai for Rs 1 crore and will earn three times more now, having been sold for Rs 3 crore at the auction.
3. Shikha Pandey - Rs 2.4 crore (UPW)
Shikha Pandey is the most successful Indian bowler in WPL history with 30 wickets and she deservedly got her due at the mega auction. UP Warriorz secured her services for a massive amount of Rs 2.4 crore as she became the third most expensive player at the event.
4. Sophie Devine - Rs 2 crore (GG)
Sophie Devine was the first-ever player to be sold at the mega auction and by the time the event ended, she remained the fourth most expensive player of the evening. The New Zealand veteran is among the most experienced player in the T20 circuit and Gujarat Giants would be extremely happy to have won the bidding war to secure her services.
5. Meg Lanning - Rs 1.9 crore (UPW)
Meg Lanning was released by the Delhi Capitals ahead of the mega auction and was in demand among five teams. She was sold to UP Warriorz in the end for Rs 1.9 crore, becoming the fifth most expensive player of the event. Lanning can even become the captain of the Warriorz, having led the Capitals to three finals of the last three editions of WPL.
