WPL 2026 Retentions: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues retained, Deepti Sharma and Alyssa Healy released

The franchises of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) have completed their retention lists in preparation for the upcoming 2026 mega auction, paving the way for an intense bidding battle in New Delhi later this month. Although the core of India’s World Cup-winning team remains intact, the choice to let go of several international stars, such as Deepti Sharma and Meg Lanning, has created a stir throughout the league.

The backbone of the Indian national team has been firmly held onto. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (Mumbai Indians), vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Jemimah Rodrigues, and Shafali Verma (both Delhi Capitals) headline the list of marquee Indian players retained by their respective teams.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians and three-time finalists Delhi Capitals both utilized their full quota, retaining the maximum permitted five players, ensuring their core structure remains largely intact for the new season.