The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction brought high drama to Kochi on October 29, as five franchises battled it out with ₹6.25 crore in bids across 25 players. Out of 27 slots, teams snapped up almost all available talent, with only two seats left unfilled by the end of the day.
Sophie Molineux Headlines as Top Buy
Australia’s Sophie Molineux was the center of attention, fetching a staggering ₹1.10 crore from UP Warriorz—more than double her base price of ₹50 lakh. That’s a premium of ₹60 lakh, making her the priciest player of this year’s auction and confirming the ongoing demand for quality allrounders in the league. UP Warriorz, who entered with the largest purse, didn’t just stop with Molineux. They also picked up fellow Australian Grace Harris, Indian allrounder Sneh Rana, and wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma at their base prices. The Warriorz emerged as the most active team, filling eight slots and holding onto a ₹1.15 crore surplus—the highest among all franchises.
Team Strategies and Standout Signings
Mumbai Indians played it smart, signing six players for just ₹70 lakh total—by far the most economical outfit, averaging about ₹11.7 lakh per signing. Notably, they added Shweta Sehrawat to their ranks. Delhi Capitals made headlines for their focus on boosting batting power, with head coach Jonathan Batty praising their acquisition for adding much-needed firepower through the middle order.
The Gujarat Giants rounded out their squad with some youth and variety—most notably, 16-year-old allrounder Samaira Raghav for INR 10 lakh. Raghav, who recently clinched victory for North Delhi Strikers in the Women’s DPL 2026 with a crucial six, joins a Giants side already strong in wicketkeeping with Beth Mooney and Yastika Bhatia. Orla Prendergast from Ireland also made history as the first Irish player to feature in the WPL, signed by Gujarat at her base price.
Overall, spending patterns revealed a conservative approach, with ₹1.90 crore of the total available purse left unspent. UP Warriorz led the way in both spending and squad depth, while teams like Mumbai Indians prioritized value buys.
As the dust settles in Kochi, attention now turns to how these new recruits will shape the 2027 WPL season—and whether big investments like Molineux’s will pay off on the pitch.
