Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have released Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, D Hemalatha, and Gautami Nayak ahead of the 2027 Women’s Premier League season. Ellyse Perry, who withdrew from the 2026 edition for personal reasons, has now confirmed her availability for the upcoming campaign.
“Perry had previously expressed her intention to return to the squad in August, which the team management has now confirmed,” said RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan. “We reviewed our strategy and identified areas to strengthen our lineup through strategic releases and auction participation.”
Perry’s return enhances RCB’s balance across all departments, prompting the franchise to reevaluate their squad composition. The team has retained a core group of 13 players—nine Indian and four overseas—while pursuing additional talent via the auction.
Delhi Capitals (DC), four-time runners-up, have released six players including Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Pragati Singh, and Eddla Srujana. UP Warriorz (UPW), who placed last in the 2026 season, released nine players, including four overseas stars such as Deandra Dottin, Chloe Tryon, Charli Knott, and Amy Jones. The team also severed ties with Asha Sobhana, Kiran Navgire, G Trisha, and Suman Meena. Note: Amy Jones and Charli Knott were replacement acquisitions for Phoebe Litchfield and Tara Norris, respectively.UPW coach Abhishek Nayar commented on Dottin’s release: “We noticed a decline in her batting form over the past year. Our focus was on acquiring a player with a strike rate of 130-140 who can accelerate the scoring, a role Dottin previously excelled in but has not replicated recently.”
The team enters the auction with seven openings and a record INR 3.65 crore purse.
Gujarat Giants (GG) released high-profile player Danni Wyatt-Hodge among four others—Ayushi Soni, Titas Sadhu, and Shivani Singh.Wyatt-Hodge, a backup opener for Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine, featured in just one match last season. Coach Michael Klinger explained, “We aim to explore diverse overseas skill sets through the auction. Additionally, Danni’s scheduling conflicts with English domestic series limited her availability for the WPL.”
Mumbai Indians (MI) released five Indian players and one overseas: Milly Illingworth, G Kamalini, Saika Ishaque, Kranthi Reddy, Poonam Khemnar, and Triveni Vasistha. Like UPW, MI has seven open slots but holds the lowest purse at INR 1 crore. The fifth edition of the WPL begins on January 14 and concludes on February 7, with the mini-auction scheduled for October 28 in Kochi.Teams may field up to 18 players, with a maximum of six overseas participants. Auction day will see 27 slots filled, including up to seven for international players. Detailed squad compositions follow:
Delhi Capitals
<Released players: Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Pragati Singh, Eddla Srujana
Retained players: Annabel Sutherland, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Lucy Hamilton, Marizanne Kapp, Deeya Yadav, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mamatha Madiwala, Minnu Mani, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Niki Prasad, Shafali Verma
Slots available: 5 (1 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 1.10 crore
Gujarat Giants
Released players: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Ayushi Soni, Titas Sadhu, Shivani Singh
Retained players: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Sophie Devine, Anushka Sharma, Bharti Fulmali, Happy Kumari, Jintimani Kalita, Kanika Ahuja, Kashvee Gautam, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh, Tanuja Kanwar, Yastika Bhatia
Slots available: 3 (1 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 1.25 crore
Mumbai Indians
Released players: Milly Illingworth, G Kamalini, Kranthi Reddy, Poonam Khemnar, Saika Ishaque, Triveni Vasistha
Retained players: Melie Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Nicola Carey, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur, Rahila Firdous, S Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Vaishnavi Sharma
Slots available: 7 (1 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 1 crore
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Released players: Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, D Hemalatha, Gautami Nayak
Retained players: Ellyse Perry, Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Prathyoosha Kumar, Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana
Slots available: 5 (2 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 1.15 crore
UP Warriorz
Released players: Amy Jones, Charli Knott, Chloe Tryon, Deandra Dottin, Asha Sobhana, G Trisha, Kiran Navgire, Shweta Sehrawat, Suman Meena
Retained players: Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Ecclestone, Tara Norris, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh
Slots available: 7 (2 overseas)
Purse remaining: INR 3.65 crore
More to follow
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