WPL 2027 auction: 146 players chase 27 places in Kochi on October 28

The Women's Premier League has its numbers for the 2027 auction: 146 registered players, 27 places to fill and one evening in Kochi, Kerala, on October 28.

Of the 27 slots, 20 are for Indian players and seven for overseas players, so most of the bidding will be for home talent.

The pool at a glance

• Indian players: 119, of whom 22 are capped and 97 uncapped

• Overseas players: 27, of whom 14 are capped and 13 uncapped

• Associate-nation players: six, all within the overseas group

• Highest base price (₹50 lakh): Sophia Dunkley (England) and Sophie Molineux (Australia)

• ₹40 lakh: G. Kamalini, Kiran Navgire, Heather Graham and Jess Jonassen

• ₹30 lakh: 30 players

The ₹50 lakh pair arrive with different stories. Dunkley has WPL experience with Gujarat Giants and, in 2023, hit an 18-ball half-century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru that was then the fastest fifty in the tournament. Molineux, an Australian left-arm spinner who also bats, shares the top bracket with her.

A thin English presence

England have only two players in the pool. Alongside Dunkley is Kira Chathli, who will captain England A on their tour of India later this year.

Two well-known names are missing altogether. Sophie Ecclestone and Danni Wyatt-Hodge were both released by their previous franchises before the auction and did not register for it.

What to watch on the day

With seven overseas places shared among 27 overseas players, the franchises will have to choose carefully. The capped Indian players are the smaller and more expensive group, while the 97 uncapped Indians offer the depth that most squads will draw on to fill the remaining 20 domestic slots.

The auction starts the build-up to the 2027 WPL season, and the squads that come out of Kochi will show how each franchise plans to replace the players it released.

Sources

• The Indian Express

• Sportstar

• Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)