Player retention rules in WPL 2026: What will happen this time?

By Akshay - Nov 05, 2025 02:16 PM
Last updated on Nov 05, 2025 02:16 PM

WPL 2026: The fourth season of the Women's Premier League will be played in 2026, for which preparations have already begun, all five teams have to release the list of their retained players by the evening of November 5 before the players' auction.

Player retention rules in WPL 2026: What will happen this time?

Team India performed brilliantly in the ICC Women's ODI World Cup, winning the trophy for the first time. All eyes are now on the fourth season of the Women's Premier League (WPL), which begins in 2026, for which a mega player auction will be held soon. Before that, all five franchises must release their retained player lists, the deadline for which is today, November 5th. After the completion of the first three seasons, all teams will see major changes, leading to a mega player auction.

All eyes will be on several big names -

The WPL player retention process will include several prominent names, including players like Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, and Amelia Kerr, as retention rules for foreign players are quite strict. No team can retain more than two foreign players before the mega auction. A team can only retain five players, with all remaining players subject to the auction process. Therefore, while many teams may expect to have more money in their purses before the auction, it may be a bit difficult for some. If a team decides to retain five players before the mega auction, its purse will drop from a total of ₹15 crore to ₹9.25 crore.

How many players can a team retain?

Before the mega auction for the fourth season of the Women's Premier League, each team is allowed to retain a minimum of five players, with no more than three Indians and no more than two foreign players. All teams have been allocated a total purse of ₹15 crore. Additionally, teams will have the option to use their Right to Match cards during the mega auction. However, if a team retains all five players, it will not have this option. If a team retains three or four players, it will be awarded two additional players and a Right to Match card to use during the mega auction.

Watch the WPL 2026 Retained Players Live Streaming here

The 2026 Player Retention will begin live on Star Sports 2's Hindi and English channels at 5:00 PM IST. The Player Retention will also be broadcast online on the Jio Hotstar app and website.

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