The five Women’s Premier League franchises have confirmed their retained and released players for the 2027 season, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and two-time winners Mumbai Indians making some of the biggest calls ahead of next month’s auction. The WPL 2027 retentions saw RCB release Australian power-hitter Grace Harris despite largely preserving their championship-winning core. Mumbai, meanwhile, released young wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini and left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque as they opened up space to reshape parts of their squad.

Across all five franchises, 63 players have been retained, including 23 overseas cricketers. The next major step will be the auction in Kochi on October 28, before the fifth edition of the competition begins on January 14, 2027.

WPL 2027 Retentions: RCB and Mumbai Indians Make the Biggest Calls

The WPL 2027 retentions have produced a mixture of continuity and calculated releases rather than wholesale rebuilding. Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained 13 members of their squad, led by captain Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil and returning Australian star Ellyse Perry.

Perry was unavailable for RCB’s successful 2026 campaign for personal reasons but has now confirmed her availability for the new season. RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan said her return gives the franchise additional flexibility in how it approaches squad construction.

RCB released:

• Grace Harris
• Linsey Smith
• Dayalan Hemalatha
• Gautami Naik

Harris is easily the most eye-catching name on that list given her ability to change a T20 innings quickly with power at the top or in the middle order.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Keep Their Championship Core

There is little ambiguity in the strategy adopted by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rather than rebuilding after winning WPL 2026, the franchise has retained the majority of the group that delivered the title.

RCB’s retained players are:

• Smriti Mandhana
• Richa Ghosh
• Ellyse Perry
• Georgia Voll
• Lauren Bell
• Nadine de Klerk
• Shreyanka Patil
• Radha Yadav
• Pooja Vastrakar
• Arundhati Reddy
• Prema Rawat
• K Prathyoosha
• Sayali Satghare

RCB’s official announcement confirmed that Perry headlines the returning group and that Harris, Smith, Hemalatha and Gautami were the four players released.

The retention list means RCB can approach the player auction looking for targeted additions rather than replacing the spine of their side.

Mumbai Indians Release G Kamalini and Saika Ishaque

Mumbai Indians have opted for slightly more change.

MI retained 11 players:

• Harmanpreet Kaur
• Nat Sciver-Brunt
• Hayley Matthews
• Amelia Kerr
• Amanjot Kaur
• Nicola Carey
• Shabnim Ismail
• S Sajana
• Sanskriti Gupta
• Rahila Firdous
• Vaishnavi Sharma

The franchise released six:

• G Kamalini
• Saika Ishaque
• Poonam Khemnar
• Triveni Vasistha
• Nalla Reddy
• Milly Illingworth

Mumbai’s official announcement confirms that the franchise has retained its experienced international core while creating more room for additions ahead of the auction.

Why G Kamalini’s Release Is Significant

G Kamalini’s departure is particularly notable because Mumbai had previously viewed the young wicketkeeper-batter as an important long-term prospect. She was among the limited group retained before the previous mega auction, making the decision to release her only a year later an interesting change in strategy. Saika Ishaque is another significant departure.

The left-arm spinner has been part of Mumbai’s success across previous editions, but MI have chosen to free the squad spot while keeping a strong core of Harmanpreet, Sciver-Brunt, Matthews, Kerr and Ismail. That structure gives the franchise considerable flexibility at the player auction.

Mumbai Indians vs RCB Rivalry Gets Another Twist

For supporters following the mumbai indians vs rcb rivalry, the contrasting retention strategies will add another dimension to next season. RCB have prioritised continuity after winning the 2026 championship, while MI have created more openings in their squad. Both still retain their biggest match-winners.

Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh remain central to Bengaluru, while Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr remain with Mumbai. When mumbai indians vs rcb next features in the 2027 competition, the core rivalry will therefore remain familiar even though both squads may contain new faces following the auction. The fixtures for those specific meetings will depend on the final WPL 2027 schedule.

Delhi Capitals Keep Jemimah, Shafali and Kapp

Delhi Capitals have also avoided major restructuring.

They retained 13 players, including:

• Jemimah Rodrigues
• Shafali Verma
• Marizanne Kapp
• Annabel Sutherland
• Laura Wolvaardt
• Chinelle Henry
• Niki Prasad
• Minnu Mani
• Nandini Sharma
• N Sree Charani
• Deeya Yadav
• Mamatha Madiwala
• Lucy Hamilton

Delhi released six players: Lizelle Lee, Alana King, Taniyaa Bhatia, Sneh Rana, Pragati Singh and Eddla Srujana.

That gives the Capitals room to make selective additions while retaining most of their established top-order and all-round strength.

UP Warriorz Release Nine Players

UP Warriorz have created the most squad space.

They retained 11 players, including Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Ecclestone, Shikha Pandey and Kranti Gaud.

Nine players were released:

• Kiran Navgire
• Chloe Tryon
• Amy Jones
• Deandra Dottin
• Asha Sobhana
• Shweta Sehrawat
• Charlie Knott
• G Trisha
• Suman Meena

That makes UP one of the teams to watch closely when the WPL auction begins.

The franchise has maintained several high-profile international and Indian players but has left itself considerably more rebuilding work than RCB or Gujarat Giants.

Gujarat Giants Make the Fewest Changes

Gujarat Giants have retained a league-high 15 players.

The group includes Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia and Kashvee Gautam.

Only four players were released:

• Danni Wyatt-Hodge
• Titas Sadhu
• Aayushi Soni
• Shivani Singh

Gujarat therefore have the smallest number of vacant places if every franchise eventually fills the maximum permitted 18-player squad.

Their approach is the clearest example of continuity in this year’s retention window.

27 Squad Places Could Be Filled at the Auction

If all five franchises expand to the maximum squad size of 18, there are 27 possible vacancies available across the league. Mumbai and UP Warriorz currently have seven potential additions each. RCB and Delhi can add up to five each, while Gujarat have space for three. This means the October player auction will not resemble a complete reset.

Most established stars have stayed with their existing franchises, meaning teams will primarily be competing for specific roles, emerging Indian talent and overseas players capable of filling gaps.

For fans searching for women premier league squad updates, the retention announcements provide the first clear picture of how the five teams will approach the new campaign.

When Is the WPL Auction?

The WPL auction is scheduled for October 28, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt in Kochi. That gives franchises around a month after the retention deadline to finalise their auction targets.

Teams will enter with very different requirements. RCB may focus on replacing Grace Harris and adding depth. Mumbai need to decide how they replace Kamalini and Ishaque.

UP Warriorz have significantly more vacancies to fill, while Gujarat can afford to be selective.

The auction pool will also determine whether released players return to their previous teams or begin new chapters elsewhere.

When Does WPL 2027 Start?

The fifth edition of the Women’s Premier League is scheduled to run from January 14 to February 7, 2027. RCB will enter as defending champions following their 2026 title.

Mumbai remain one of the competition’s most successful franchises, and their established core means another mumbai indians vs rcb meeting could again become one of the major fixtures of the season. The full match schedule will determine exactly when those sides meet. For readers following women premier league developments, the retention deadline is effectively the beginning of the 2027 season build-up.

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