India all-rounder Deepti Sharma dominated the 2026 Women’s Premier League mega auction on Thursday, emerging as the costliest buy of the day after UP Warriorz used their Right to Match (RTM) card to secure her for Rs. 3.20 crore.
Sharma, who entered the marquee set at a base price of Rs. 50 lakh, was initially picked up by Delhi Capitals without a bidding battle.
But the moment UP Warriorz exercised RTM, DC pushed the bid up to Rs. 3.2 crore — a figure the Warriorz immediately matched.
The move made Deepti the second-highest-paid Indian in WPL history, just behind Smriti Mandhana.
UP Warriorz Director of Cricket Operations Kshemal Waingankar said the franchise always knew the all-rounder would command a premium.
“It’s what you pay for a high-quality spin-bowling all-rounder. There was no doubt we wanted Deepti back,” he said.
Deepti’s rising value reflects her all-round consistency: 507 runs at a strike rate of 117.63 and 27 wickets in 25 matches, including a historic hat-trick and MVP honours in 2024.
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Her leadership as UPW captain last season and her standout performance in the ODI World Cup further elevated her stock.
Other World Cup performers too made gains, with Shree Charani and Laura Wolvaardt landing significant deals as franchises worked to rebuild squads ahead of the 2026 season.
UP Warriorz, entering the auction with the biggest purse of Rs. 14.5 crore, led the spending, followed by Gujarat Giants (Rs. 9 crore), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Rs. 6.15 crore), Mumbai Indians (Rs. 5.75 crore) and Delhi Capitals (Rs. 5.7 crore).
