The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is gearing up for its 2025 season auction, scheduled for December 15 in Bengaluru. This year, each of the five franchises will have a total budget of INR 15 crore, an increase from the previous budget of INR 13.5 crore, allowing teams to build even more competitive squads.
The auction promises to feature a host of international stars, including England captain Heather Knight, New Zealand’s fast bowler Lea Tahuhu, and West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. Additionally, notable Indian players such as allrounder Sneh Rana, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav, and batter Veda Krishnamurthy are expected to attract significant interest.
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In terms of budget allocations, the Delhi Capitals, managed by Meg Lanning, enter the auction with the lowest purse of INR 2.5 crore, having finished as runners-up in 2023 and 2024.
In contrast, the Gujarat Giants, who struggled in the last two editions by finishing at the bottom, will have the highest budget of INR 4.4 crore, as they aim to rebuild after releasing seven players. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who released seven players including Knight, will enter the bidding with a purse of INR 3.25 crore.
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Notably, Danni Wyatt-Hodge was the only player transferred during the pre-season trade window, moving from UP Warriorz to RCB in an all-cash deal, despite not playing any matches for UPW in the previous season.
The inaugural WPL season was held entirely in Mumbai, while the second season saw matches hosted across Bengaluru and New Delhi. The BCCI aims to progressively introduce new venues, but teams are advocating for a home-and-away format in future seasons.
The 2025 edition of WPL is set to take place over three weeks in February-March, with plans for subsequent seasons to shift the tournament’s timing to January-February from 2026, in alignment with the new women’s Future Tours Programme for 2025-29. The anticipation around the WPL continues to grow as teams prepare to secure their future stars at the upcoming auction.