Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opened their account at the 2027 Women's Premier League (WPL) auction in Kochi on 28 October by securing Australia's left-arm spin all-rounder Jess Jonassen for ₹40 lakh — her base price — as the accelerated round got under way. Mumbai Indians (MI) picked up young batter Saanika Chalke and Gujarat Giants (GG) snapped up 16-year-old Delhi all-rounder Samaira Raghav, both at their base prices of ₹10 lakh.

RCB Break Silence with Jonassen

Jess Jonassen, who featured across three seasons with Delhi Capitals, was the first player to go under the hammer in the accelerated round. RCB, who had not entered a single bid until that point in the auction, moved in swiftly to claim the experienced all-rounder at her base price. Jonassen is currently sidelined from the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) with a neck injury but is reportedly expected to regain full fitness by January.

MI Invest in Saanika Chalke's Potential

Mumbai Indians secured Saanika Chalke, a 20-year-old left-handed top-order batter, for ₹10 lakh. Saanika is a member of India's 2025 Under-19 T20 World Cup-winning squad and first grabbed attention with a double hundred for Mumbai in an Under-19 one-day game against Sikkim in 2022. She topped the run charts in the Mumbai T20 league earlier this year with 223 runs from five matches, and was in sharp form just before the auction, scoring 85 off 53 balls against Jharkhand in the ongoing Senior Women's T20 Trophy.

Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals Add Depth

Gujarat Giants used their final available slot to sign Samaira Raghav, a 16-year-old Delhi all-rounder who was among four players added to the auction list on the eve of the event, for ₹10 lakh.

UP Warriorz continued a productive evening by adding three more players — Scotland all-rounder Kathryn Bryce and uncapped India all-rounders Manali Dakshini and Sahana Pawar — each at ₹10 lakh. Notably, Kathryn secured a contract even though her sister, wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Bryce, went unsold earlier in the day.

Delhi Capitals made two late acquisitions: 15-year-old uncapped all-rounder Uma Kashvi and Scotland left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon, both for ₹10 lakh. Gordon, who played five T20Is and a Test for England — including the 2018 T20 World Cup final — before switching allegiance to Scotland, will now be classified as an Associate player in the WPL.

Unsold Players and What Remains

The accelerated round brought the total number of players sold at the auction to 18, leaving nine slots still to be filled across the five franchises. Several prominent names went unsold, including India's leg-spin all-rounder Devika Vaidya, who has recently returned to competitive cricket following motherhood. Uncapped India batters Pranavi Chandra, Ira Jadhav, and Tanisha Ohlan, along with wicketkeeper-batter Khushi Bhatia, all-rounders Nazma Khan and Triveni Vasistha, and Palak Singh also found no buyers. Among overseas options, UAE captain Esha Oza, Australian left-arm pacer Milly Illingworth, and New Zealand pacer Bree Illing — a late addition to the pool — also went unsold.

With nine roster spots remaining, franchises will have one more round to finalise their WPL 2027 squads, setting up what promises to be a competitive new season for the flagship women's T20 franchise competition in India.