Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s decision to release Grace Harris and Mumbai Indians’ decision to move on from young wicketkeeper-batter G Kamilini emerged as two of the biggest calls, as all five Women’s Premier League franchises confirmed their retentions for the 2027 season on Monday. The five franchises have retained 63 players ahead of the WPL 2027 player auction, which will take place at the Grand Hyatt Kochi on October 28. The fifth edition of the tournament is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7, 2027.
Defending champions RCB have retained 13 players, while Gujarat Giants have kept the largest group together with 15. Delhi Capitals have retained 13 players, with Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz retaining 11 each as teams begin shaping their squads for the first auction after the 2026 mega auction.
RCB retain Perry, release Grace Harris
RCB have largely kept their title-winning core intact, with captain Smriti Mandhana joined by Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Lauren Bell, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, K Prathyoosha and Sayali Satghare. Perry, who missed the 2026 campaign due to personal reasons, has made herself available for the upcoming season.
The champions have released Australian power-hitter Grace Harris, England spinner Linsey Smith and Indian pair Dayalam Hemlatha and Gautami Naik. RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan said Perry’s return gave the franchise greater flexibility while planning its squad, with four overseas players – Perry, Voll, Bell and de Klerk – already moving the retained group.
Mumbai Indians make big Kamalini call
Two-time champions Mumbai Indians have retained captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, Nicola Carey, Shabnim Ismail, S Sajana, Sanskriti Gupta, Rahila Firdous and Vaishnai Sharma. The retention keeps together most of MI’s established international core while leaving considerable room to add depth at the auction.
MI have released G Kamalini, Saika Ishaque, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy and Milly Illingworth. Kamalini’s release is particularly notable because she was among the five players retained by Mumbai ahead of the 2026 mega auction, while Vaishnavi, who subsequently joined the squad as an injury replacement, has now been retained for 2027.
Delhi Capitals keep heavyweight core
Delhi Capitals have retained captain Jemimah Rodrigues alongside Shefali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, Laura Wolvaardt, Chenille Henry, Niki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Nandini Sharma, N Sree Charani, Deeya Yadav, Mamatha Madiwala and Lucy Hamilton. The move ensures that the backbone of the side which reached another WPL final remains together.
DC have released Lizelle Lee, Sneh Rana, Alana King, Taniyaa Bhatia, Pragati Singh and Eddla Srujana. Head coach Jonathan Betty said the franchise’s primary objective going into the auction was to find ways of improving an already established starting XI rather than carrying out a major rebuild.
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UP Warriorz overhaul supporting cast
UP Warriorz have retained captain Meg Lanning as well as Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Phoebe Litchfield, Shikha Pandey, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh and Tara Norris. The franchise has therefore protected several of the major investments it made during the 2026 mega auction while opening up a significant number of places elsewhere in the squad.
Shweta Sherawat, Kiran Navgire, Asha Sobhana, Deandra Dottin, Chole Tryon and Amy Jones have been released. Sehrawat’s departure stands out because she had been UP Warriorz’s only retention before the 2026 mega auction, while Dottin, Tryon and Jones give the upcoming auction several experienced overseas options.
Gujarat Giants retain 15, make fewest changes
Gujarat Giants have opted for maximum continuity, retaining 15 players from their existing group. Captain Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham and Kim Garth from the overseas core, while Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari and Jintimani Kalita have also been retained.
The Giants have released only four players – Danny Wyatt-Hodge, Titas Sadhu, Aayushi Soni and Shivani Singh – leaving them with the smallest rebuilding job of the five franchises. Their retention strategy means Gujarat can approach the October auction with a largely settled squad and concentrate on filling specific gaps rather than undertaking another overhaul.
The contrasting approaches leave 27 possible squad places across the five franchises if every team expands to the permitted maximum of 18 players. Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz currently have the most room, with seven places each; RCB and Delhi Capitals have five apiece, while Gujarat Giants can add a maximum of three before the 2027 season begins.