Shikha Pandey, out of India’s plans since 2023, sparked a bidding war at the WPL 2026 mega auction before UP Warriorz bought her for 2.4 crore. The veteran pacer became the third-costliest pick, beginning a new chapter after her Delhi Capitals stint.
Out-of-favour India pacer Shikha Pandey attracted a bidding war in the first-ever mega Women’s Premier League (WPL) Auction in New Delhi on Thursday, November 27. After three successful seasons, WPL hosted their first ‘mega’ auction, with five teams, Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, vying to rebuild squads from scratch.
A total of 277 players went under the hammer, with the auction being presided over by Mallika Sagar, the first woman to lead a major cricket auction in India. Before the much-anticipated mega WPL auction, all five franchises retained their core players and released many big names to make room for new picks at the auction, making it a true “reset button” for all five franchises.
Young and seasoned players registered their names for the WPL 2026 Auction, with all five franchises looking to rebuild their squad for a fresh season, reshuffle their team balance, and aggressively bid for top talent.
UP Warriorz Breaks Bank for Shikha Pandey
Though India’s all-rounder Deepti Sharma made headlines after UP Warriorz re-acquired her services through Right to Match (RTM) for 3.2 crore, Shikha Pandey’s own auction stood out. Shikha has been playing only in domestic cricket and WPL after her last appearance in the Indian jersey came in 2023.
However, the veteran Indian pacer attracted immense interest from the franchises, who were keen to have her on the board. Shikha Pandey entered the auction with a base price of INR 40 lakh, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the first to raise the paddle before the UP Warriorz entered the bidding war.
RCB and UPW were fiercely locked in a prolonged bidding battle, driving the price well past the 2-crore mark before UP Warriorz successfully outbid the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to secure the services of Shikha Pandey for a whopping 2.4 crore, making her the third expensive buy in the Mega WPL 2026 Auction.
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UP Warriorz is the second franchise for Shikha Pandey after having played for Delhi Capitals in the three seasons of the Women’s Premier League, having a pivotal role in helping the team reach the final three times on the trot.
Who is Shikha Pandey?
Shikha Pandey represents Goa in domestic cricket, having made her domestic debut for the senior side at the age of 17 in 2008. Six years after playing domestic cricket, Shikha Pandey donned the Indian jersey during the India tour of Bangladesh in 2014. She became the second player, after Dilip Sardesai, to represent India in international cricket from the state of Goa, marking a historic moment for Goan cricket.
Shikha Pandey was part of Team India that reached the final of the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup, where they lost to England at Lord’s. Shikha was included in India’s squad for the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup and was the team’s second-highest wicket-taker, taking seven wickets in five matches. Thereafter, the veteran Indian pacer was in or out of the Indian setup, with her last appearance coming in 2023.
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Over the last couple of years, Shikha was overlooked by the BCCI Women’s selectors as the team management shifted towards grooming a younger pace attack. However, the Goa pacer continues to play in domestic and WPL. Shikha Pandey has a good record in ODIs, scalping 75 wickets in 55 matches. In T20Is, she has picked 43 wickets in 62 matches.
In her WPL career, Shikha Pandey has picked 30 wickets at an average of 23.20 and an economy rate of 6.96 in 27 matches.