WPL 2026 Teams: Squads, SA Players & Auction Highlights

The WPL auction happened on 27th November, and five South African players will be playing in WPL 2026.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is India’s top women’s cricket league. It started in 2023 and features five franchise teams competing in a T20 format. 

This article covers all WPL 2026 teams, their squads, captains, owners, and key changes from the auction, with a special focus on South African players in the competition.

South African Players in WPL 2026

The WPL 2026 auction saw good interest in South African talent. Laura Wolvaardt joined Delhi Capitals for ₹1.10 crore, making her one of the key South African signings. 

Marizanne Kapp, who was retained by Delhi Capitals, continues her journey with the franchise. UP Warriorz picked up Chloe Tryon for ₹30 lakh. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru added Nadine de Klerk to their squad for ₹65 lakh. Shabnim Ismail will continue to play for the Mumbai Indians. These Proteas stars will bring their experience and skill to the Indian league, representing South Africa on one of the biggest stages in women’s cricket.

WPL 2026 Auction Highlights

The WPL 2026 mega auction took place on November 27, 2025, at the JW Marriott Hotel in New Delhi. Teams filled 67 slots from a pool of 276 cricketers. 

Deepti Sharma became the most expensive player at ₹3.20 crore, while Amelia Kerr was the top overseas buy at ₹3.00 crore. Teams could use up to five Right to Match options. 

Several South African stars found new homes, with Laura Wolvaardt, Nadine de Klerk, and Chloe Tryon among the Proteas players securing contracts.

WPL 2026 Teams List

The WPL 2026 season will have five teams competing. No new franchises have been added, so the league continues with its original five-team format.

Team Name	City
Mumbai Indians Women	Mumbai
Delhi Capitals Women	Delhi
UP Warriorz	Lucknow
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women	Bengaluru
Gujarat Giants	Ahmedabad

Mumbai Indians Women

• Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
• Squad Size: 16 players (6 overseas)
• Key Players: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews
• South African Players: None

Mumbai Indians won WPL 2024. They kept five players before the auction. At the auction, they bought Amelia Kerr for ₹3.00 crore, making her the most expensive overseas player. 

Nat Sciver-Brunt was retained by the team for ₹3.50 crore. They spent all their ₹15 crore and bought 16 players. They have strong all-rounders like Sciver-Brunt, Kerr, and Matthews. They picked former Proteas bowler Shabnim Ismail for INR 60 lakh.

Delhi Capitals Women

• Captain: Jemimah Rodrigues (expected)
• Squad Size: 16 players (6 overseas)
• Key Players: Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt, Annabel Sutherland
• South African Players: Marizanne Kapp (retained ₹2.20 crore), Laura Wolvaardt (₹1.10 crore)

Delhi Capitals have finished as the runner-ups three times but never won. They kept five players including South African Marizanne Kapp. At the auction, they bought another South African, Laura Wolvaardt, for ₹1.10 crore. 

They also got players like Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Chinelle Henry, and Annabel Sutherland. They spent all ₹15 crore. With two South African players, they have good batting and bowling. Kapp is experienced and Wolvaardt is a class batter.

UP Warriorz

• Captain: Deepti Sharma (expected) or Meg Lanning
• Squad Size: 18 players (6 overseas)
• Key Players: Deepti Sharma, Meg Lanning, Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey
• South African Players: Chloe Tryon (₹30 lakh)

UP Warriorz had the biggest purse at the auction. They kept only one player, Shweta Sehrawat. They picked Deepti Sharma, the most expensive player at ₹3.20 crore. 

They also bought back Sophie Ecclestone, Kranti Gaud, and Kiran Navgire. Other big buys were Shikha Pandey for ₹2.40 crore and Meg Lanning for ₹1.90 crore. They got South African Chloe Tryon for ₹30 lakh and bought all 18 players and spent ₹14.85 crore.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women

• Captain: Smriti Mandhana
• Squad Size: 16 players (6 overseas)
• Key Players: Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris
• South African Players: Nadine de Klerk (₹65 lakh)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won WPL 2024. Smriti Mandhana is still the most expensive player ever at ₹3.40 crore from 2023. They retained her for ₹3.50 crore this time. They also retained Richa Ghosh for ₹2.75 crore and Ellyse Perry for ₹2.00 crore. 

They bought South African Nadine de Klerk for ₹65 lakh. Other buys were Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, and Grace Harris. They spent all ₹15 crore on 16 players. De Klerk bowls medium pace and can bat well.

Gujarat Giants

• Captain: Beth Mooney or Ashleigh Gardner
• Squad Size: 18 players (6 overseas)
• Key Players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham
• South African Players: None

Gujarat Giants kept Ashleigh Gardner for ₹3.50 crore and Beth Mooney for ₹2.50 crore. They bought Sophie Devine for ₹2.00 crore, making her the second-most expensive player in the auction. 

They also got Georgia Wareham for ₹1.00 crore and Indian players like Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, and Renuka Singh. They bought Anushka Sharma for ₹45 lakh. She is the costliest uncapped player. 

They bought all 18 players and spent ₹14.85 crore. They don’t have South African players but have strong overseas stars. Laura Wolvaardt, who played for them before, moved to Delhi Capitals.

WPL 2026 Updated Squads

Here’s how teams will look after the complete auction: 

Mumbai Indians Women Squad

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail (SA), Gunalan Kamalini, Saika Ishaque, Nicola Carey, Triveni Vasistha, Sanskriti Gupta, Nalla Reddy, Milly Illingworth, Poonam Khemnar, Rahila Firdous

Delhi Capitals Women Squad

Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp (SA), Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt (SA), Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Nandani Sharma, Deeya Yadav, Lucy Hamilton, Madiwala Mamatha

UP Warriorz Squad

Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon (SA), Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Gongadi Trisha, Suman L Meena, Tara Norris

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Squad

Smriti Mandhana (C), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Grace Harris, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk (SA), Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Dayalan Hemalatha, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Gautami Naik, Kumar Prathyoosha

Gujarat Giants Squad

Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Kim Garth, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Anushka Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kanika Ahuja, Titas Sadhu, Ayushi Soni, Happy Kumari, Shivani Singh

South African Stars to Watch in WPL 2026

• Laura Wolvaardt (Delhi Capitals)
• Marizanne Kapp (Delhi Capitals)
• Chloe Tryon (UP Warriorz)
• Nadine de Klerk (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)
• Shabnim Ismail (Mumbai Indians)

Conclusion: Four South African Players Will Play in the WPL 2026

The mega auction in New Delhi reshaped all squads, with teams spending their full purses to build strong lineups. 

Five South African players will represent the Proteas in the tournament, with Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp being the standout names. 

Mumbai Indians will defend their title, while teams like Delhi Capitals, strengthened by South African talent, look strong. 

The season promises exciting cricket with a good mix of international stars and Indian talent across all five franchises.

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