India's World Cup winning stars Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma are among some high-profile players retained by the Women's Premier League franchises ahead of the 2026 mega auction, according to a report.
Another Indian World Cup star Deepti Sharma, as well as Australians Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning, and New Zealand's Amelia Kerr, have been released by their respective franchises, according to a 'ESPNcricinfo' report.
According to the report, two teams -- defending champions Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals -- have retained five players, the maximum allowed by WPL.
Royals Challengers Bengaluru have retained four players, Gujarat Giants two and UP Warriorz one.
As per WPL retention rules, franchises can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, a maximum of two overseas players, and a maximum of two uncapped Indian players.
In case where the franchise wanted to retain five players, the rules state that at least one should be an uncapped Indian player.
The WPL has also, for the first time, decided to allow franchises to use right-to-match (RTM) option at the auction to buy back a player who was part of their squad in 2025.
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