The chess pieces are out on the board as the fifth edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) kicks off. With the retention window closed, all five franchises have unveiled their blueprints to glory for the upcoming auction in Kochi on October 28.

A total of 63 players, including 23 overseas stars, have sealed their spots in their respective teams, leaving 27 open slots for the battle ahead. From fine-tuning the winning combination of last season by the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a cash-rich UP Warriorz gearing up for a complete revamp, the WPL 2027 (January 14 to February 7) campaign has begun.

The Big Spenders and Tactical Rebuilds of WPL 2027

UP Warriorz (Purse: ₹3.65 Crore): The franchise, with the biggest purse, has already retained the core players, including Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, and Sophie Ecclestone, besides re-signing Deandra Dottin, Chloe Tryon, and Amy Jones after cutting down nine players. With seven slots (two overseas) to fill in their 15-member squad, the team would look to completely reform their playing identity with the heavy purse at their command.

Gujarat Giants (Purse: ₹1.25 Crore, 3 Slots): With only three slots in hand, Gujarat has opted to retain big names like Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, and Sophie Devine, whereas Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Titas Sadhu were let go.

Now, the franchise with the third-highest purse is set to make shrewd buys in the auction.

Mumbai Indians (Purse: ₹1.00 Crore, 7 Slots): The two-time defending champions (2023 and 2025) have retained the core players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Hayley Matthews while several other players have left the folds of the franchise. Hence, the team would look to make several impactful buys in the auction to fill up their seven slots.

Champions and Runners-Up: The Fine-Tuning Phase

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Purse: ₹1.15 Crore, 5 Slots): Defending champions of the inaugural WPL 2026 season (and second in a row in 2027), they face a dilemma in fine-tuning their squad in the absence of a few key players. Though they have opted to retain some of their crucial players like Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, and Richa Ghosh, they are set to make buys for the replacements of Grace Harris and Linsey Smith.

Delhi Capitals (Purse: ₹1.10 Crore, 5 Slots): Ever the runners-up of the tournament, Delhi Capitals finished as the second-best team of the four in the inaugural edition and the 2026 season.

In the absence of their key players like Lizelle Lee and Alana King, they have retained Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Marizanne Kapp and will now look to strengthen their bench in the auction.

The Auction Stage is Set

With the auction slated to begin on October 28 at the Grand Hyatt Kochi, the focus now turns to the franchises that have retained their core players. Even as UP Warriorz have the maximum purse (3.65 Crore), smaller purses at DC, MI, and RCB mean each bid in Kochi will matter.

As the clock ticks down to January 14, it will be interesting to see which team, apart from the retained core, uncovers a few X-Factor gems at the WPL 2027 mega event in Kochi.