Excitement Builds for the 2025 Women's Premier League Auction

The stage is set for the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, scheduled to take place on December 15 in Bengaluru. With increased budgets this year—rising from INR 13.5 crore to INR 15 crore—each of the five franchises will aim to strengthen their squads ahead of the highly anticipated season.

Big Names in the Auction Pool

The auction will feature a mix of international and domestic stars. England captain Heather Knight, New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu, and West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin headline the list of overseas players available for bidding. Meanwhile, Indian talents like all-rounder Sneh Rana, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, and batter Veda Krishnamurthy will also be seeking franchises willing to bet on their skills.

Franchise Budgets and Strategy

The Delhi Capitals, led by Meg Lanning and runners-up in the last two seasons, enter the auction with the smallest purse of INR 2.5 crore. At the other end of the spectrum, the Gujarat Giants, who finished last in both prior editions, have the largest budget of INR 4.4 crore to reshape their squad after releasing seven players.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), featuring India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine, also let go of seven players, including Heather Knight, who withdrew from the previous season due to international commitments. RCB heads into the auction with INR 3.25 crore to spend.

In the only pre-auction trade, RCB secured England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge in an all-cash deal from UP Warriorz. Wyatt-Hodge, who didn’t play a single match for UPW in 2024, will hope for a fresh start with the defending champions.

WPL’s Growth and Future Plans

While the inaugural WPL was hosted entirely in Mumbai, the second season expanded to Bengaluru and New Delhi, reflecting the tournament's growing popularity. Although the BCCI has expressed interest in gradually adding venues via a caravan model, teams have shown enthusiasm for adopting a home-and-away format in future seasons.

The 2025 edition, featuring five teams competing over three weeks in February-March, will likely be the last before the WPL moves to a new January-February window starting in 2026, as outlined in the women’s Future Tours Programme for 2025-29.

As the WPL continues to evolve, the upcoming auction and season promise more thrilling cricket and strategic gameplay, cementing its place as a marquee event in women’s cricket.