Sophia Dunkley, Chamari Athapaththu and Grace Harris have the clearest route to a contract, because only four franchises can still sign foreign talent and three of them want batters. Just seven of the 27 places still unfilled are reserved for overseas stars, and 27 of them are chasing those seats at the Kochi sale on 28 October. Mumbai Indians have no room left at all, having used up their quota in a recent trade. This guide maps the purses, the needs and the names that fit.
Seven Seats and Twenty-Seven Hopefuls
The five franchises kept 63 players between them, 23 of them from overseas, which leaves 27 open slots and a combined purse of ₹8.15 crore. Only seven of those slots can go to foreign players. The money is tight, but the shortage of seats is tighter. Every rupee spent on a foreign signing is a rupee unavailable for a domestic one.
The pool holds 146 names, 119 Indian and 27 overseas. Fourteen of the foreign group are capped, and 13 are uncapped, six of them from Associate nations. That works out to nearly four foreign players for every foreign slot, so at least 20 of them will miss out.
Franchise Purses and Slots Compared
Mumbai Indians picked up Tara Norris during October, paying UP Warriorz her ₹10 lakh fee, and that deal took their foreign count to six and their open foreign slots to zero. It also opened three slots for UP Warriorz and left them with ₹3.75 crore, by far the biggest purse in the league.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru can add two foreign players, while Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants get one slot each. The role column in the table below draws on released players and preview analysis rather than anything the franchises have said.
Franchise | Purse left | Overseas slots | Retained overseas players | Role needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UP Warriorz | ₹3.75 crore | 3 | Lanning, Litchfield, Ecclestone | Batting depth |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru | ₹1.15 crore | 2 | Perry, Voll, Bell, de Klerk | Finisher |
Delhi Capitals | ₹1.10 crore | 1 | Sutherland, Henry, Wolvaardt, Hamilton, Kapp | Spinner |
Gujarat Giants | ₹1.25 crore | 1 | Gardner, Mooney, Wareham, Garth, Devine | Top-order batter |
Mumbai Indians | ₹90 lakh | 0 | Kerr, Matthews, Sciver-Brunt, Carey, Ismail, Norris | None |
Base Prices Set the Pecking Order
Two names sit at the top at ₹50 lakh: Sophia Dunkley, the England batter, and Sophie Molineux, the Australian left-arm spinning all-rounder. At ₹40 lakh come two more, the pace-bowling all-rounder Heather Graham and the left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen. Ten more are priced at ₹30 lakh, a group that features Athapaththu, Harris and Tryon, while 13 start at ₹10 lakh and nobody is priced at ₹20 lakh.
The form guide is dated. Dunkley hit 121 runs for Gujarat in 2023 at 175.36 per hundred balls, Jonassen added 79 for Delhi in the same season, and Molineux removed three top-order batters inside one over of the 2024 final. None of those showings are recent, so teams will be leaning on reputation as much as current form.
WPL 2027 auction overseas players
Fit matters more than reputation. Gujarat can spend ₹1.25 crore across three places, one reserved for a foreigner, and they have lost Danni Wyatt-Hodge from the top order, so Athapaththu, a tested opening batter in T20 cricket, or Dunkley would suit them. UP Warriorz want batting depth from abroad, and Dunkley fits there as well, and their ₹3.75 crore stretches to more than one major bid over three places.
Royal Challengers let Harris go, and the explosive finisher has returned to the pool, priced at ₹30 lakh. Alana King, let go by Delhi, is not in the pool because she never registered, which leaves Molineux or Jonassen to fill the spin role. Deandra Dottin and Lizelle Lee are missing too.
Mumbai’s Limited Room to Move
Mumbai holds ₹90 lakh, the smallest purse in the league, and six slots to fill, which averages out near ₹15 lakh for each place. Every one of those signings must be Indian, and that rules out re-signing Milly Illingworth, the Australian they let go, even though she is listed again at ₹10 lakh.
A sensible plan is to buy Indian depth cheaply, and the pool does list G Kamalini at ₹40 lakh, a wicketkeeper-batter Mumbai released earlier. For them, the WPL 2027 auction overseas players section of the pool is simply a spectator sport.
Which franchise will land the best foreign bargain on auction day? Tell us your pick in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What time does the Kochi sale begin on 28 October?
Bidding starts at 5:30 pm IST on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. The event is held at the Grand Hyatt, which is the first venue in Kochi to stage a WPL sale.
How many places are up for grabs in the pool?
There are 27 open slots across the five franchises, seven of them for foreign players. The pool holds 146 names, made up of 119 Indians and 27 overseas players.
Which franchise has the biggest purse left?
UP Warriorz hold the largest purse at ₹3.75 crore. That figure follows the October trade involving Tara Norris with Mumbai Indians, which also gave them three overseas slots to fill.
Who carries the highest base price in the pool?
Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Molineux are priced highest at ₹50 lakh. Heather Graham and Jess Jonassen come next at ₹40 lakh, with ten more players at ₹30 lakh.
Can Mumbai Indians sign any foreign player?
No, Mumbai Indians have zero overseas slots left. The Tara Norris trade brought their foreign squad to six, so their remaining six places must go to Indian players.