WPL 2026 Auction: Top Five Costliest Buys At The First Mega Auction Of WPL | Cricket News

(From left) Amelia Kerr, Deepti Sharma and Shikha Pandey (Agencies)

The first mega auction of the Women’s Premier League came to a glorious end on Thursday, with 67 players being purchased to fill the 77 available slots after franchises retained only their core players.

We take a look here at the costliest buys at the WPL 2026 mega auction:

Deepti Sharma (Rs 3.2 crore): MVP of the recent Women’s ODI World Cup, where she played a crucial role in India winning the final against South Africa, Deepti was expectedly the costliest buy of the day. She was also the joint second-most expensive player ever sold at the WPL auction when UP Warriorz matched the highest bid to use their Right to Match and bring her back.

Amelia Kerr (Rs 3 crore): A star allrounder, the Mumbai Indians bought her back for Rs 3 crore. She was part of the franchise’s title-winning runs in 2023 and earlier this year as well. She finished as the second-most costly buy of the WPL 2026 auction.

Shikha Pandey (Rs 2.4 crore): Pandey, who last played for India in 2023, emerged as a surprise big buy, with the UP Warriorz bagging her for Rs 2.4 crore (USD 270,000), making her the third most expensive pick. She was last seen in action at the Women’s Caribbean Premier League. 

Sophie Devine (Rs 2 crore): The first cricketer to go under the hammer was New Zealand’s Devine, snapped up by the Gujarat Giants for Rs 2 crore (USD 220,000). Royal Challengers Bengaluru tried to reclaim her but backed out. She has been in good form, featuring in the Women’s Big Bash League.

Meg Lanning (Rs 1.9 crore): The star Australian was one of the surprise releases of the Delhi Capitals squad and a lot of eyes were on her to see if DC bought her back. They did, but lost out to the UP Warriorz, who bid at Rs 1.9 crore, making her the fifth-costliest buy of the auction. She is expected to lead the franchise.