The women’s Premier League (WPL) retention deadline has finally come as five teams have announced their retained and released players ahead of the mini-auction for the WPL 2025.

Thursday (November) was the extended deadline for the WPL teams to retain their players for the third season of the tournament. The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru released seven players, and Gujarat Giants released six players. 

The inaugural WPL champions Mumbai Indians, first two editions runners-up Delhi Capitals, and UP Warriorz released four players each.

SEE ALSO: GMR Group to manage Delhi Capitals in IPL, JSW to manage the women’s team in WPL

Women's T20 World Cup winning member released

Gujarat Giants released the senior New Zealand pacer Lea Tahuhu, who was a crucial member of New Zealand’s recent trophy success in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. New Zealand Women’s leading WODI wicket-taker took three wickets against India during the group stage of the tournament.   

Among the Indian cricketers, Veda Krishnamurthy and Sneh Rana are the big names released from Gujarat Giants.  

RCB released Heather Knight and Nadine de Klerk

Talking about prominent names released by other teams, Delhi Capitals released Poonam Yadav, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru released English star Heather Knight and South African all-rounder Nadine de Klerk. 

Although Knight struggled in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, she is firing in the ongoing Women’s Big Bash League in Australia with 135 runs in three innings (average 67.50) with a strike rate of 175.32. In this tournament, she has scored 48, 28, and 58 runs, respectively. 

Also, UP Warriorz already surprised everyone after trading out the English star Danni Wyatt-Hodge to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

Gujarat Giants (Available Purse: INR 4.40 crores)

Released: Sneh Rana, Kathryn Bryce, Trisha Poojitha, Veda Krishnamurthy, Tarannum Pathan, Lea Tahuhu

Retained: Beth Mooney (Captain), Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Ash Gardner, Harleen Deol, Dayalan Hemalatha, Tanuja Kanwer, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh, Shabnam Shakil, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Priya Mishra, Sayali Satghare

UP Warriorz (Available Purse: INR 3.90 crores)

Released: Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, S Yashasri, Lauren Bell

Retained: Alyssa Healy (Captain), Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Harris, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor, Anjali Sarvani, Gouher Sultana, Poonam Khemnar, Uma Chetry, Vrinda Dinesh

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Available Purse: INR 3.25 crores)

Released: Heather Knight, Disha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Nadine de Klerk, Shubha Satheesh, Shraddha Pokarkar, Simran Bahadur

Retained: Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Sabbineni Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Shreyanka Patil, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh, Sophie Molineux, Ekta Bisht, Kate Cross, Kanika Ahuja, Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Traded In)

Mumbai Indians (Available Purse: INR 2.65 crores)

Released: Priyanka Bala, Humairaa Kaazi, Fatima Jadder, Isabelle Wong

Retained: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Yastika Bhatia, Amelia Kerr, Chloe Tryon, Hayley Matthews, Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Pooja Vastrakar, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque, Amanjot Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Keerthana

Delhi Capitals (Available Purse: INR 2.50 crores)

Released: Laura Harris, Ashwani Kumari, Poonam Yadav, Aparna Mondal

Retained: Meg Lanning (Captain), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Taniya Bhatia, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Titas Sadhu, Minnu Mani, Sneha Deepthi

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the Women’s Premier League (WPL) retention deadline. 

Initially, the WPL retention deadline was on October 15. However, the BCCI has now decided to extend the retention deadline to November 7. 

Five teams are participating in the WPL. These teams are Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and UP Warriorz. 

SEE ALSO: Disappointed Mithali Raj calls for India Women's captaincy change

Each WPL team has an INR 15 crore purse

While each team can have an 18-member squad, a maximum of six players can be overseas. For the WPL 2025, the BCCI will organise a mini-auction. The WPL season one (WPL 2023) started with an INR 12 crore purse, while it was increased to 13.5 crore for the second or last season. For the WPL 2025, the purse value will be INR 15 crore.

During the WPL retention deadline, each team can retain and release any number of players. After the retention deadline, the BCCI will organise a mini-auction. However, the details of the WPL 2025 mini-auction, including the date of the auction, haven’t been confirmed yet. 

Although the BCCI hasn’t confirmed the timeline for the WPL 2025 tournament, it is expected to be played as usual in the February-March window. While Mumbai (in two venues) hosted the complete inaugural edition of the WPL (WPL 2023), Bengaluru and Delhi hosted the WPL 2024. The BCCI hasn’t also clarified the WPL 2025 venues yet. 

WPL future

Talking about the future of the WPL, just like the Indian Premier League (IPL), the WPL may experience a mega auction after completing three editions. It means that we can see a mega auction for the WPL 2026. In this case, we can experience a special retention policy before any mega auction in the WPL, just like the IPL. 

According to the recent Cricbuzz report, the WPL 2026 can also experience the addition of a new team. 

The WPL 2024 kickstarts today with the intense clash between the defending champions and runner-ups, Mumbai Indians & Delhi Capitals, respectively. After the second auction of the tournament, we can see the teams rejuvenated and gearing up to display some wholesome cricket entertainment. With the addition of new faces to each squad, the teams will approach the new season with renewed energy. In this WPL 2024 listicle, we will check on the head coaches for all five teams.

Michael Klinger (Gujarat Giants)

In the first season, under the helms of former Australian batter Rachael Haynes, the Gujarat Giants had a season to forget as they finished at the bottom of the points table with 4 points from 8 games, including just a couple of victories. Led by the No. 1 T20I batswoman Beth Mooney, they have now named the former Australian batter Michael Klinger as the new head coach for the upcoming edition of the WPL. Klinger, who previously coached the Melbourne Renegades in the WBBL, guided them to the semi-final in 2019. The Giants would be keen to turn their fortunes around in WPL 2024.

Luke Williams (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

After a dismal first season due to subpar results, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have appointed Luke Williams as the team’s new head coach, replacing Ben Sawyer in the WPL 2024. He led the Adelaide Strikers, skippered by Tahlia McGrath, to their first title in 2022. They had previously finished as runners-up twice. As an assistant head coach alongside Charlotte Edwards, he also helped the Southern Brave, captained by Anya Shrubsole, to their first Women’s Hundred title.

Jon Lewis (UP Warriorz)

The UP Warriorz, under the guidance of Jon Lewis, who doubles as the head coach of the senior women’s team, had a great season led by skipper Alyssa Healy. Qualifying for the playoffs resulted from their top-three finish, earning 8 points from 4 games. Unfortunately, their playoff journey ended with a massive 72-run defeat against the Mumbai Indians. Despite this setback, Jon Lewis has been retained as the head coach of the UP Warriorz for the WPL 2024 edition, acknowledging their impressive performances in the inaugural edition.

Jonathan Batty (Delhi Capitals)

After retiring from cricket, former Gloucestershire wicket-keeper batter Jonathan Betty transitioned to coaching. His coaching acumen came to the fore as he led the Oval Invincibles to consecutive titles in the Women’s edition of the Hundred in 2021 and 2022. Betty’s success led to his appointment as the head coach of the Delhi Capitals in the inaugural Women’s Premier League, where he worked alongside skipper Meg Lanning. In the debut season of the WPL, Betty guided the Delhi Capitals to the final, where they ultimately finished as runners-up to the Mumbai Indians, showcasing his coaching prowess once again in WPL 2024.

Charlotte Edwards (Mumbai Indians)

The former England vice-captain and legend Charlotte Edwards has had an impeccable stint as a head coach for several women’s tournaments. By leading the Mumbai Indians to their first WPL title, it is not a surprise that with the support of Harmanpreet Kaur, Issy Wong, Shabnim Ismail, and their robust team would target their second title in the ongoing WPL 2024. She has won the Charlotte Edwards Cup with the Southern Vipers in her coaching career. She followed it by leading her team to second place in the Women’s Hundred (Southern Brave), Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (Southern Vipers), and WBBL (Sydney Sixers) in 2022.

Ever since its inception in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), it has been one of the significant bricks in the growth and reach of Indian female cricket. From the promising performances of the emerging players to the display of pure class calibre by the experienced players, the tournament has been a gateway for the impeccable display of cricket talent.

As the tournament gears up for its second edition in the coming few days, all five teams have created robust arsenals in the auction process and are geared up for the intriguing and intense clashes. With all five teams making their final squads for the coming few days of the WPL 2024, here are the top players from each participating team to check out.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Shreyanka Patil

Shreyanka Patil demonstrated her bowling skills during the WPL 2023 season, taking six wickets in 7 matches with an average of 32.00. Her impressive performance for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League 2023 as the best wicket-taker with an economy rate of 5.83 demonstrates her significance as a reliable bowler in critical situations. Patil’s ability to develop breakthroughs under duress makes her a valuable asset to the team. She can be a spinmeister for the RCB in the long run, especially after a mediocre inaugural run and enhancement of expectations for the second edition.

Mumbai Indians: Nat Sciver Brunt

Nat Sciver-Brunt, the English cricketer, has emerged as a vital role in the Mumbai Indians Women’s team. Sciver performed excellently in the last WPL season, scoring 332 runs in 10 games at a fantastic average of 66.40 and a stunning strike rate of 140.08.

Her recent performances in the T20I series in India and the WBBL 2023/24 season highlight her place in the team’s batting order. And it is not a surprise that the defending champions would keep their performance consistent with the help of a top-notch squad.

See also: https://www.cricketwinner.com/cricket-news/wpl-2024-top-3-contenders-to-win-the-purple-cap

Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning

Meg Lanning, an experienced 31-year-old Australian cricketer, will exhibit her hitting prowess in the forthcoming 2024 Women’s Premier League season. Lanning’s ability to perform under duress is demonstrated by his remarkable aggregate of 345 runs in nine outings.

With an average of 49.29 and an excellent strike rate of 139.11, her leadership and hitting skills are expected to be critical in guiding her team to success. As a seasoned campaigner and the leading run-scorer in the 2023 season, Lanning brings skill and leadership to the Delhi Capitals Women, where she hopes to guide her side to success.

UP Warriorz: Alyssa Healy

The dynamic captain and wicketkeeper-batter, Alyssa Healy, is a shining example of consistency and intensity in the UP Warriorz team. Her outstanding results in the last WPL season, when she scored 253 runs in 9 matches with a fantastic strike rate of 141.34, highlight her importance as a top-order hitter.

With a strong track record in international cricket and a flair for excelling under pressure, Healy exemplifies the team’s aggressive style at the crease. Her achievements on the pitch have undoubtedly aided UP Warriorz Women’s campaign, displaying her potential to thrive in the WPL’s fierce competition.

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney

Beth Mooney, an accomplished Australian cricketer, adds extensive expertise to the Gujarat Giants. As a consistent opener, Mooney’s dependability and aggressiveness have the potential to stabilise the team’s batting lineup and successfully anchor innings. Her recent outstanding performance in WBBL 2023-2024, when she scored the most runs in the competition, demonstrates her capacity to dominate the field.

Though her injury hampered her prospects of playing in the inaugural edition, it is clear that the top T20I women’s batter would leave no stone unturned in displaying her calibre to the Gujarat Giants, who are seeking to turn the tables after their forgettable first season.

With the second edition of the WPL coming ahead in a few days, there have been intriguing anticipation amongst the fanatics, especially after a successful inaugural edition, thanks to the women’s impeccable display of cricketing calibre. As the sport suggests, the bowlers are the ones that create a significant impact on the team’s game, but in a behind-the-scene mode.

Though there are many exceptional bowlers, their talent, experience, and drive may leave an indelible mark on the game. However, in the shortest format, bowlers play an essential part in determining the result of matches, and certain players stand out as potential game-changers due to their ability to reliably take up wickets. Let us check on the top three bowlers who can scalp the most wickets and earn the Purple Cap of the WPL 2024.

Shreyanka Patil

Shreyanka Patil, a right-arm off-break bowler, has emerged as a genuine potential for India. The 21-year-old ended the Women’s Senior One Day Trophy 2022-23 with the second most wickets. She began playing cricket after watching the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is an avid Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) supporter. She got picked by her hometown arsenal in the inaugural edition and did the trick with her spin-bowling skills.

She has scalped a decent six wickets from seven innings with an economy of 9.84. But, with her recent performances for the Indian cricket team and the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, she becomes one of the major players to check out for in the upcoming WPL edition & of course, a strong contender for the Purple Cap.

Marizanne Kapp

Marizanne Kapp is an experienced bowler who has contributed vital to her WPL franchise, Delhi Capitals. The South African right-arm medium bowler has contributed significantly to the franchise cricket teams she has represented. In the event’s last edition, the 34-year-old bowler took nine wickets at an average of 22.89 and had a fantastic economy of 5.72.

She bowls with excellent line and length, making it challenging for batters to play a stroke. Notably, she has perfect control over the run pace, demonstrating her ability to flourish under duress in the competitive WPL environment. She also holds the title for bowling the most maiden overs and dot balls (121 balls) during the first WPL season.

Sophie Ecclestone

Sophie Ecclestone, the current No.1 T20 Bowler, emerged as a pillar for the UP Warriorz Women squad in the inaugural edition, stunning onlookers with her excellent left-arm orthodox spin. Ecclestone grabbed 16 wickets in nine matches, at an outstanding average of 14.69.

Her ability to maintain a tight economy rate of 6.65 emphasized her importance to the squad, helping the UP Warriorz to their winning stints and cementing her position as one of the league’s top spinners.