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The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has been one of the reasons for the development of the India Women’s National Cricket Team, accelerating talent development, and normalizing high-pressure international competition. It will enter its fifth edition of the tournament as the franchises have now retained and released players before the upcoming edition of the competition, which is scheduled to take place from January to February.
The first edition of the tournament was held in 2023, as Mumbai Indians (MI) won the inaugural edition of the tournament. They are the joint-most successful side alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Smriti Mandhana’s side is the reigning champion of the tournament, as they won a thriller in the last edition of the tournament against Delhi Capitals (DC).
Ellyse Perry retained by RCB ahead of WPL 2027
The official WPL 2027 retention list is still out. The five WPL franchises had the deadline till September 28, 2026, and have announced their decision on player retention and release choices, according to a deadline set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The defending champions RCB have retained their key player Ellyse Perry, who withdrew last edition due to personal reasons. This showcases the faith that the franchise has in the veteran Australian all-rounder, who has been a match-winner for the side.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana retained as captain
Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana, the captain and vice-captain of the India team, will yet again be leading their respective franchise in the fifth edition of the tournament. Both have been brilliant, winning two trophies each for MI and RCB, respectively, and thus both have been retained.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma have also been retained for their franchise. Despite injury concerns with Jemi, she will lead the side once again in the WPL after guiding her side to the final last year. Deepti will be crucial for the Warrioz who finished at the bottom last season.
WPL all teams retained and released list
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Retained: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Prathyoosha Kumar
Released: Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, Gautami Naik, Dayalan Hemalatha
Mumbai Indians Retained: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver, Nicola Carey, Rahila Firdous, S Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Vaishnavi Sharma
Released: G Kamalini, Milly Illingworth, Nalla Reddy, Poonam Khemnar, Saika Ishaque, Triveni Vasistha
Delhi Capitals Retained: Annabel Sutherland, Chinelle Henry, Deeya Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Lucy Hamilton, Mamatha Madiwala, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Nandni Sharma, Niki Prasad, Shafali Verma, Sree Charani
Released: Lizelle Lee, Alana King, Taniyaa Bhatia, Sneh Rana, Pragati Singh, Eddla Srujana
UP Warriorz Retained: Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Pratika Rawal, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Sophie Ecclestone, Tara Norris
Released: Kiran Navgire, Chloe Tryon, Amy Jones, Deandra Dottin*, Asha Sobhana, Shweta Sehrawat
Gujarat Giants Retained: Anushka Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Bharti Fulmali, Georgia Wareham, Happy Kumari, Jintimani Kalita, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Kim Garth, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Sophie Devine, Tanuja Kanwer, Yastika Bhatia
Released: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Aayushi Soni, Titas Sadhu, Shivani Singh
