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WPL 2026 Teams: Updated Player List & Franchise Lineups

December 10, 2025

Before the WPL season begins, fans are excited to see how the five teams, the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants, and UP Warriorz, have assembled their squads.

At the end of the WPL 2026 mega auction, 67 players secured deals across the five franchises. Indian players were in high demand after a successful World Cup campaign, with 44 domestic stars receiving bids.

Ahead of the upcoming season, we will look at the WPL 2026 teams and their full squads in this article.

Official List Of WPL 2026 Teams

Each team’s squad lists all the retained, newly acquired, and international players for the upcoming season.

Official List Of WPL 2026 Teams
Source: IndiaSportsHub

This table provides a complete overview of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 squads for all five franchises.

Sr. NoTeam2026 Squad (Players)
1Mumbai Indians WomenHarmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver‑Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajana Sajeevan, Rahila Firdous, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth
2Delhi Capitals WomenJemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Chinelle Henry, Shree Charani, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Taniya Bhatia, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani
3Royal Challengers Bengaluru WomenSmriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumari, D. Hemalatha
4Gujarat Giants WomenAshleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Titas Sadhu, Kashvee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Georgia Wareham, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Yastika Bhatia, Shivani Singh, Danni Wyatt‑Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni
5UP Warriorz WomenShweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire, Harleen Deol, Kranti Goud, Asha Sobhana, Deandra Dottin, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Tara Norris, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, G. Trisha, Pratika Rawal

Shikha Pandey joined UP Warriorz for ₹2.4 crore, Amelia Kerr became the most expensive foreign played at ₹3 crore (Mumbai Indians), and UP Warriorz picked Deepti Sharma for ₹3.2 crore.

1. Mumbai Indians Women

The Mumbai Indians Women were among the best teams when they joined the WPL, and they quickly proved it by winning the first-ever WPL 2023 championship. MI has consistently placed first on the points table over the years.

Mumbai Indians Women
Source: Female Cricket 

Big names like captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt, as well as Hayley Matthews and Saika Ishaque, have all performed impressively well. In WPL 2026, MI will once more be among the leading contenders.

2. Delhi Capitals Women

One of the WPL’s most exciting and competitive teams has been the Delhi Capitals Women. They demonstrated their ability to dominate league stages with attacking cricket, reaching the final in each edition of the tournament.

Delhi Capitals Women
Source: The Indian Express

They have stars like Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues. Annabel Sutherland and Chinelle Henry were picked in the auction. DC maintained its position as one of the top teams, despite not winning a championship in the previous seasons. 

3. Gujarat Giants Women 

So far, the Gujarat Giants Women’s WPL journey has been challenging. The team’s performance was affected in the early seasons by key player injuries and an unstable lineup.

Gujarat Giants Women 
Source: IPL

They had retained Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney before heading to the auction. In the auction, the Giants used the Right to Match cards for Kashvee Gautam and Bharti Fulmali. They picked proven performers like Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, and Renuka Singh.

4. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women

As a team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women have grown, and one of their most notable achievements was winning the WPL 2024 title. The team transformed once they found the right balance, but their previous seasons were a mix of high expectations and uneven performance.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women
Source: Female Cricket 

The star-studded RCB lineup, which includes Ellyse Perry, Smriti Mandhana, Lauren Bell, and Nadine de Klerk, has dramatically improved. With a more stable batting order and improved bench depth going into WPL 2026, RCB anticipates building on this win.

5. UP Warriorz Women

One of the WPL’s most active and unpredictable teams has been UP Warriorz Women. In the 2023 season, they advanced to the playoffs, showing the ability to take on more formidable opponents with smart strategies.

UP Warriorz Women
Source: Sportscafe

Some of the top international players, like Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Ecclestone, and Deandra Dottin, makes the team one of the most strong ones. They could go further in WPL 2026 if their lower order improves and their batting improves. 

Comparing WPL 2026 Teams: Who Looks Strongest?

As WPL 2026 approaches, all five teams have impressive players. The Mumbai Indians Women and Gujarat Giants Women appear exceptionally well-balanced, while the Delhi Capitals, RCB, and UP Warriorz combine experience, versatile all-rounders, and emerging talent. 

The strengths of each WPL 2026 team are summarized in this table, highlighting the unique attributes of each franchise.

TeamStrength
Mumbai Indians WomenStrong batting and bowling balancecan chase or defend big totals
Delhi Capitals WomenFierce batting with versatile all-roundersAdaptable in any situation
Royal Challengers Bengaluru WomenExperienced batters control in tight games
Gujarat Giants WomenHeavy-hitting batting wicket-taking bowling
UP Warriorz WomenInternational experience emerging domestic talent

With only one player left over from Women’s Premier League retention, the uncapped Shweta Sehrawat, UP Warriorz had the most rebuilding to do going into the auction. They had four RTM options and the most oversized purse (₹41.1 crore).

Five players were held by the three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals, who retained Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, and the reigning champions Mumbai Indians, led by Indian cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur. MI did not have any RTM options at the mega auction.

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Conclusion – Every Team Has A Chance To Shine In WPL 2026

The WPL 2026 season promises to be one of the most exciting yet, with all five franchises fielding strong, balanced squads. 

Although the Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians seem especially formidable on paper, any team could become an unexpected contender due to the unpredictable nature of Twenty20 cricket. 

Among the best bidding made at the WPL 2026 auction were Deepti Sharma, Amelia Kerr, and Shikha Pandey. Some of the best female talent from India and around the world will compete in WPL 2026.

WPL is unpredictable, and any team could shine.

FAQs

How many teams are participating in WPL 2026?

The Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants, and UP Warriorz are the five teams competing in the WPL 2026.

How many players were signed in the WPL 2026 auction?

A total of 67 players secured contracts across all five franchises.

How many Indian players were signed in WPL 2026?

Following India’s recent World Cup victory, 44 Indian players earned bids, indicating strong domestic demand.

Who were the most expensive buys in WPL 2026?

Deepti Sharma (₹3.2 crore, UP Warriorz), Amelia Kerr (₹3 crore, Mumbai Indians), and Shikha Pandey (₹2.4 crore, UP Warriorz) topped the auction.

Which team looks strongest on paper for WPL 2026?

With a combination of domestic and international talent, the Gujarat Giants Women and Mumbai Indians Women appear particularly well-balanced.

Benjamin Harper is a seasoned sports journalist specializing in Canadian cricket, with over five years of firsthand reporting. He has a Bachelor's graduate in Sports Journalism, his expert match analysis and exclusive interviews deliver authoritative, trustworthy insights to cricketca.ca audiences.

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