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WPL 2027 auction: Molineux fetches Rs 1.10 crore from UP Warriorz; Kiran Navgire top Indian buy at Rs 75 lakh
Australia's Sophie Molineux was the costliest buy at the WPL 2027 mini auction in Kochi, going to UP Warriorz for Rs 1.10 crore. Kiran Navgire was the top Indian buy at Rs 75 lakh for Delhi Capitals. Only 25 players were sold, and UP Warriorz filled all eight slots.
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Australian all-rounder Sophie Molineux was the most expensive player at the Women's Premier League mini auction held in Kochi on Wednesday, 28 October. UP Warriorz bought her for Rs 1.10 crore against a base price of Rs 50 lakh. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, her former team, dropped out at Rs 1.05 crore. Kiran Navgire, bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 75 lakh, was the highest-paid Indian player. Only 25 players were sold, and the bidding was over in less than an hour. The 2027 season is scheduled for 14 January to 7 February, and venues have not been announced.
The big buys
Molineux was the headline of the auction. Mumbai Indians dropped out of the bidding for Navgire at Rs 70 lakh. UP Warriorz had eight slots to fill and a purse of Rs 3.75 crore, and they filled all of them, making them the most active team. Sneh Rana was signed at Rs 30 lakh, which will be her fourth franchise in five WPL seasons.
Team-wise buys
| Team | Players bought (price) |
|---|---|
| UP Warriorz | Sophie Molineux (Rs 1.10 crore); Grace Harris, Sneh Rana, Sushma Verma, Asha Sobhana (Rs 30 lakh each); Kathryn Bryce, Manali Dakshini, Sahana Pawar (Rs 10 lakh each) |
| Delhi Capitals | Kiran Navgire (Rs 75 lakh); Uma Kashvi, Kirstie Gordon, Nazma Khan (Rs 10 lakh each) |
| Gujarat Giants | G. Kamalini (Rs 40 lakh); Orla Prendergast (Rs 30 lakh); Samaira Raghav (Rs 10 lakh) |
| Mumbai Indians | Bharti Rawal, Saanika Chalke, Akshita Bhagat, Shweta Sehrawat (Rs 20 lakh each); Disha Kasat, Latika Inamdar (Rs 10 lakh each) |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Jess Jonassen (Rs 40 lakh); Tejal Hasabnis, Chloe Tryon (Rs 30 lakh each); Vrinda Dinesh (Rs 10 lakh) |
The squad counts after the auction are eight for UP Warriorz, six for Mumbai Indians, four each for Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru and three for Gujarat Giants. Kamalini and Jonassen were bought at their base price of Rs 40 lakh.
Who went unsold
Several notable names were not picked, including the Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu, the England batter Sophia Dunkley and the wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia, who had been released by Delhi Capitals before the auction. Uma Chetry, Nuzhat Parween, Saika Ishaque, Priya Mishra, Titas Sadhu and Devika Vaidya were also unsold. Delhi Capitals released Taniya Bhatia and Lizelle Lee ahead of the auction.
Among the overseas players, UP Warriorz added the Australian big hitter Grace Harris and the Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce, Delhi Capitals added the Scotland spinner Kirstie Gordon, Gujarat Giants the Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru the South African Chloe Tryon and the Australian Jess Jonassen. The 2027 season will run for just over three weeks, from 14 January to 7 February.
It was a mini auction, in which teams already have most of their squads and fill the gaps. The first half was followed by an accelerated round, in which Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their bidding. With 25 sold, most teams added a handful of players, and prices for most were at or close to the base price, apart from the two top buys.
At the prices listed, the 25 players cost about Rs 6.55 crore in all, with UP Warriorz spending about Rs 2.60 crore of their Rs 3.75 crore purse. Molineux's price was more than double her base of Rs 50 lakh, while Kamalini and Jonassen were bought at their base price of Rs 40 lakh. Most of the other players went for between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, which shows how little competition there was beyond the first few names.
UP Warriorz could field up to four Australian overseas players, and Molineux and Grace Harris are both Australian. Delhi Capitals made Navgire their second-highest buy. Royal Challengers Bengaluru brought Jess Jonassen in at her base price, and Mumbai Indians used the auction to add six players, all at Rs 10 to 20 lakh.
The WPL has become a place where young Indian players, many of them from smaller cities, get contracts at the same time as overseas internationals. The players bought at Rs 10 lakh or Rs 20 lakh are among those who will compete for places in the playing eleven in the January tournament.
The five teams will announce their squads as they finalise the list of players, and the match schedule and venues for the 2027 season are yet to be released.
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