Australia captain Sophie Molineux emerged as the costliest buy in the opening phase of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction in Kochi on 28 October 2026, with UP Warriorz (UPW) securing her services for ₹1.10 crore. Young India wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini was snapped up by Gujarat Giants (GG) at her base price of ₹40 lakh, while several notable international names went unsold in the early rounds.

Molineux Battle: How the Bidding Unfolded

Molineux, a left-arm spin bowling all-rounder, had set her base price at ₹50 lakh. She was a member of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) title-winning squad in 2024 but missed the WPL 2026 season entirely. The bidding opened with UPW leading the charge, with RCB quickly entering the fray, and the price crossed ₹95 lakh in under a minute.

UPW pushed to ₹1 crore, RCB countered with ₹1.05 crore, before UPW sealed the deal at ₹1.10 crore. Notably, Molineux recently returned to international cricket in the T20I series against New Zealand after recovering from a hip injury, adding weight to the demand for her services.

Kamalini, Navgire and Other Indian Signings

Kamalini, released by Mumbai Indians ahead of the auction, attracted no competing bids and joined GG at her base price. While her WPL record with Mumbai Indians has been modest, the wicketkeeper-batter is a member of the 2025 U19 Women's World Cup-winning team and has since featured for India A and Tamil Nadu, as well as the senior national side.

Delhi Capitals (DC) made their first signing of the day by securing India batter Kiran Navgire for ₹75 lakh. Mumbai Indians opened at ₹40 lakh and pushed the former UPW player's price to ₹70 lakh, before DC went to ₹75 lakh. MI, with only ₹90 lakh remaining in their purse, withdrew from the contest.

UPW also added India off-spin bowling all-rounder Sneh Rana and Australia's hard-hitting all-rounder Grace Harris, both at their base price of ₹30 lakh each. Sneh, a former Gujarat Giants captain who served as a replacement player at RCB, drew no competing bids. Grace returns to UPW after a productive stint at RCB, who claimed the WPL 2026 title. RCB released Harris with Ellyse Perry set to return, and she is expected to compete for an opening slot alongside Meg Lanning or Pratika Rawal at UPW.

GG also brought in Ireland seam-bowling all-rounder Orla Prendergast for ₹30 lakh.

High-Profile Names Go Unsold

The opening rounds threw up several surprises in the unsold column. Raghvi Bist, who has played two T20Is for India and was the first player under the hammer, attracted no bids at her base price of ₹30 lakh. Maharashtra middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis, currently part of India's ODI squad for the series against Zimbabwe, also went unsold.

Most strikingly, Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu, one of her country's most influential players, failed to attract a single bid. England batter Sophia Dunkley, one of only two English players in the auction, likewise went unsold at her base price of ₹50 lakh. Ayushi Soni, who has played one T20I and one WPL match for GG, also remained unsold.

What the Early Auction Signals

The early rounds suggest franchises are prioritising proven match-winners with international fitness clearances — Molineux's return from injury and immediate auction demand underscores that logic. The unsold status of Athapaththu and Dunkley points to a cautious overseas-slot calculus, with teams apparently unwilling to commit to players perceived as squad fillers at the base prices set. The auction is expected to continue through the day, with more big names still to go under the hammer.