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WPL 2027 auction: purse, retentions and slots explained

Five franchises head to the Kochi auction with fixed purses and player slots after submitting retention lists.

By , Editor

· 2 min read

Cricket, general photo
Cricket (general photo, not from this event) Photo: yogendras31 / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

The WPL 2027 auction takes place in Kochi on October 28, with 27 slots available including seven overseas slots. Revsportz reported that Gujarat Giants retained the most players, while UP Warriorz have the largest available purse.

Key takeaways

  • Auction set for Kochi on October 28
  • 63 players retained across five franchises
  • 27 total slots available, including seven overseas
  • UP Warriorz have the maximum purse of INR 3.65 crore
  • Mumbai Indians have the least purse at INR 1 crore

The WPL 2027 auction will be held in Kochi on October 28, Revsportz reported, ahead of the upcoming season. All five franchises submitted their retained and released player lists on Monday. A total of 63 players have been retained, including 23 overseas players. Gujarat Giants retained the most players at 15, while UP Warriorz released the most at nine. Twenty-seven slots will be available at the auction, including seven overseas slots.

WPL 2027 auction: purse and slots

UP Warriorz will enter the auction with the maximum available purse of INR 3.65 crore, Revsportz reported. Mumbai Indians, the two-time champions, have the least available purse at INR 1 crore, though they have seven slots to fill. The WPL has set an auction purse of INR 15 crore, Cricinfo reported. Retention slabs are INR 3.5 crore for player one, INR 2.5 crore for player two, INR 1.75 crore for player three, INR 1 crore for player four and INR 50 lakh for player five.

How the WPL auction works

Franchises can negotiate amounts above the guideline retention slabs, but any excess is deducted from the auction purse, Cricinfo reported. A minimum of INR 50 lakh applies to an uncapped India player. Retaining five players costs INR 9.25 crore from the purse, four costs INR 8.75 crore, three costs INR 7.75 crore, two costs INR 6 crore and one costs INR 3.5 crore. A franchise can use a maximum of five right-to-match cards, but retaining five players means losing the RTM option entirely. Retaining four players leaves one RTM, three leaves two RTMs, two leaves three RTMs and one leaves four RTMs.

Why it matters

The retention deadline on September 28 revealed the scale of the auction, Cricauction.live reported. WPL 2026 was classified as a mega auction, while WPL 2027 has not yet been classified. If teams retain most of their squads, the auction will be a very different event compared with 2026.

What happens next

The auction list, slots and reserve price brackets are expected in early to mid-October, Cricauction.live reported. The auction itself takes place in Kochi on October 28. WPL 2027 begins on January 14, 2027.

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