New Delhi, Oct 9 (NationPress) Teams participating in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) have the opportunity to retain up to five players ahead of the much-anticipated mega auction. The deadline for player retention is set for November 5, according to the notice shared with the franchises. The auction is scheduled to take place between November 25 and 29.

In an email dispatched to franchises on Thursday, it was outlined that each team can keep a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players. However, if a team opts to retain all five players, at least one of them must be an uncapped Indian player.

This season marks the inaugural implementation of the right-to-match (RTM) option at the WPL mega auction. This allows franchises to reclaim players who were part of their roster in the 2025 season. Each franchise will be allotted a maximum of five RTMs, although this number may decrease based on how many players the team decides to retain before the auction.

The availability of RTMs is contingent on the number of players retained. Retaining all five players means the RTM option won't be accessible. If a team keeps four players, they’ll have one RTM; retaining three players provides two RTMs; two players allows for three RTMs; and keeping just one player grants four RTMs.

For the upcoming mega auction, the WPL has allocated an auction purse of Rs 15 crore for each franchise. The league has also established guideline prices for player retention across five tiers: Rs 3.5 crore for Player 1, Rs 2.5 crore for Player 2, Rs 1.75 crore for Player 3, Rs 1 crore for Player 4, and Rs 50 lakh for Player 5. The franchise's auction purse will be adjusted based on the number of retained players. If a team retains five players, a total of Rs 9.25 crore will be deducted; for four players, INR 8.75 crore; for three, Rs 7.75 crore; for two, Rs 6 crore; and for one, Rs 3.5 crore.

While the WPL has outlined standard retention prices, franchises and players can negotiate alternative amounts. In these cases, the actual agreed amount will be deducted from the team's budget rather than the standard slab amount. The minimum retention value for uncapped Indian players is set at Rs 50 lakh, although this may increase through negotiations.

The WPL has also established a clear timeline leading up to the auction. November 5 is the deadline for franchises to submit their player retention lists, followed by a required submission of auction player lists by November 7. The final date for player registration is November 18, and the official auction list will be published by the BCCI on November 20.