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The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 season will see a mini auction for player acquisitions on December 15 in Bengaluru. With each of the five participating franchises allocated a budget of INR 15 crore—an increase from INR 13.5 crore last season—teams will look to strengthen their squads ahead of the new season.
Key Players Up for Bidding
Among the high-profile international players set to feature in the auction are England captain Heather Knight, New Zealand fast bowler Lea Tahuhu, and West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. Additionally, prominent Indian cricketers such as allrounder Sneh Rana, legspinner Poonam Yadav, and batter Veda Krishnamurthy will be looking to attract interest.
Franchise Budgets and Squad Rebuilds
- Delhi Capitals, who were runners-up in 2023 and 2024, have the smallest purse of INR 2.5 crore, as they look to further bolster their squad.
- Gujarat Giants, who finished at the bottom of the table in both seasons, will have the highest available purse of INR 4.4 crore to rebuild their team after parting ways with seven players.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, have released seven players, including Heather Knight who missed the previous season due to international commitments. RCB will have INR 3.25 crore to spend on reinforcements.
Pre-season Moves and Transfers
The pre-season trade window closed in early November, with England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge being the only player to be transferred. She was moved from UP Warriorz to RCB in an all-cash deal. Wyatt-Hodge did not feature in a single game for UP Warriorz during the 2024 season, which ended with them finishing fourth.
The Future of WPL
Following the inaugural season held entirely in Mumbai, and the second season spread between Bengaluru and New Delhi, the BCCI is exploring the possibility of introducing new venues for the upcoming season, sticking with the “caravan model”. However, there are also discussions about transitioning to a home-and-away format in the future.
The third edition of WPL, scheduled to be played between February-March 2025, will see the league run over a three-week window. From 2026, the tournament is expected to shift to a new window in January-February as part of the updated ICC Women’s Future Tours Programme for the 2025-29 cycle.
