WPL mega auction rules revealed! Retention limit, RTM, slabs officially confirmed

The upcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has already started making headlines as franchises gear up for the first big player retention and mega auction. The five city-based franchise teams are likely to get a major revamp, with the BCCI to conduct a WPL mega auction ahead of the next season.

As reported by ESPNcricinfo, all five teams can retain up to five players from their current squads, and the deadline for announcing these retentions is November 5. The mega auction is scheduled between November 25 and 29, which promises a major overhaul in their squad.

WPL teams can retain up to 5 players ahead of the mega auction

In an email to franchises, the Women’s Premier League has shared all the instructions with the teams. The WPL set clear rules on how many players can be retained. Each franchise can retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players.

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If a team chooses to retain five players, at least one of them must be an uncapped Indian. For the first time, franchises will also be allowed to use the right-to-match (RTM) option at the auction, which allows them to pick a player who was part of their 2025 squad at the mega auction.

How retaining players will impact teams’ auction purse

The auction purse for each franchise is fixed at INR 15 crore. The WPL has also provided guideline prices for the retained players. Player 1 will only be signed for INR 3.5 crore, Player 2 at INR 2.5 crore, Player 3 at INR 1.75 crore, Player 4 at INR 1 crore, and Player 5 at INR 50 lakh.

If a team retains all five players, INR 9.25 crore will be deducted from their auction purse. Retaining four players will deduct INR 8.75 crore, three players will cost INR 7.75 crore, two players INR 6 crore, and retaining just one player will deduct INR 3.5 crore.

RTM strategy explained for WPL Mega Auction

Interestingly, the RTM option is directly linked to the number of players retained by the teams. If a franchise retains five players, it loses the RTM option entirely. Retaining four players leaves one RTM, three players leave two RTMs, two players leave three RTMs, and retaining only one player gives a team four RTMs at the auction table.

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However, the WPL franchises can negotiate retention amounts different from the guideline slabs, but any amount higher than the suggested slab will be deducted from the auction purse. A minimum of INR 50 lakh has been set for uncapped Indian players, but the final amount can be higher based on agreements between the franchise and the player.

BCCI set the WPL retention and player registration deadlines

The Women’s Premier League has also set the timeline for the pre-auction process. Retention lists must be submitted by November 5. Franchises then need to share their lists of players available for the auction by November 7. The last date for player registration is November 18, and the BCCI will release the final list of players for the mega auction on November 20.