Ahead of the 2026 mega auction in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), UP Warriors have retained just one player and will have the highest purse in the auction scheduled to take place on November 27 in Delhi.
The Lucknow-based outfit has decided not to retain any of its capped players and has let go of Women’s World Cup Player of the Tournament (POTM) Deepti Sharma, Australian captain Alyssa Healy, and England star Sophie Ecclestone.
Having retained just one uncapped player in Shweta Sehrawat, the Warriors will have the biggest purse at the auction with Rs. 14.5 crore in their bank. They can also buy back their former stars with four Right to Match (RTM) cards on their side out of which they can use two on Indian players on two on overseas stars.
The team had an impressive first season, where they reached the playoffs but lost to the eventual winners Mumbai Indians (MI), in the eliminator. However, they had nightmare campaigns in 2024 and 2025, where they finished second-last and last, respectively.
The 2025 season is set to mark the start of a new era for the franchise as Abhishek Nayyar takes charge of the franchise as head coach. It remains to be seen who captains the side with the franchise, with their massive purse having the option to buy a new captain or re-signing Deepti Sharma or Alyssa Healy with the Right to Match (RTM) card.
UP has four RTMs that can be used on a maximum of two Indians and two overseas players.
UP Warriorz WPL 2026 Retention List
Players Retained:Shweta Sehrawat (Rs. 50 Lakhs)
Players Released:Deepti Sharma, Alana King, Anjali Sarvani, Arushi Goel, Chamari Athapaththu, Chinelle Henry, Gouher Sultana, Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Goud, Poonam Khemnar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Saima Thakor, Sophie Ecclestone, Tahlia McGrath, Uma Chetry, Vrinda Dinesh