The championship-winning Indian team members are featured in high-profile endorsements for various products, invited to numerous universities for thought-provoking speeches, appear as special guests on talk shows, and are seen sporting radiant smiles on various posters.

Hence, it won’t come as a surprise if the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) mega auction, set to be held in New Delhi on Thursday, sees several World Cup-winning players earn a big payday. With several World Cup-winning players back in the pool, all five franchises will be devising strategies to secure these marquee players and then set the stage for them to command premium pay checks.

Among the ten World Cup-winning members in the auction pool, Deepti Sharma (base price of Rs. 50 lakh) and Renuka Singh Thakur (base price of Rs. 40 lakh) are listed in the marquee set. Deepti, who was the Player of the Tournament in both the ODI World Cup and WPL 2025, will draw the attention of all teams.

While her previous franchise, UP Warriorz (with the highest purse of Rs. 14.5 crore) still holds four Right-To-Match (RTM) options, Deepti’s consistent match-winning performances will ensure that she won’t be a cheap buy at the auction.

Kranti Gaud, Deepti’s teammate at UPW in WPL 2025 and a World Cup winner, will also attract interest from many teams, thanks to her rare skill set: being a capped India fast bowler.

Left-arm spinner N Sree Charani, the second-highest wicket-taker for India in the World Cup win, will also attract massive bids after previously being a steal buy for Delhi Capitals, who enter the auction with the least purse (Rs. 5.7 crore).

Other World Cup winners who will keep teams interested are Renuka Singh Thakur, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, and Pratika Rawal (assuming she has recovered sufficiently from the ankle injury that sidelined her from the World Cup knockouts).

The auction will feature a total of 277 players going under the hammer to fill 73 slots – including 23 reserved for overseas players. It is also understood that the five franchises are likely to spend more on batters, pacers, or overseas all-rounders to strengthen their batting and bowling options.

“The accelerated phase in the auction will begin after player number 68. Teams will be asked for their choice of players and names will be duly called out.

Apart from Deepti and Renuka, the marquee set features several high-profile names, including Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt, Sophie Devine, and Amelia Kerr, ensuring intense bidding battles among teams for these proven match-winners.

Outside the marquee set, players of significant interest include Nadine de Klerk, Pheobe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire, Alana King, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Voll, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Kashvee Gautam, who has just returned to action via the ongoing U23 T20 championship after a six-month layoff.

The interest in players like Prathyusha Challuru and Anuja Patil, who have previously played for India and performed on the domestic circuit, will also be notable in franchise discussions.

Regarding the teams' needs at the auction, two-time champions Mumbai Indians possess a well-rounded batting line-up led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, complemented by proven all-rounders such as Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Amanjot Kaur, along with uncapped wicketkeeper-batter G Kamalini.

They could target an experienced keeper-batter behind the stumps to add depth. Although Yastika Bhatia has registered for the auction, it will be interesting to see if MI buy her back, considering she has had an ACL surgery. MI's priority will be strengthening the bowling attack with specialised options and securing key Indian spin bowlers.

The 2024 champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, are expected to target a big-hitting opener to partner captain Smriti Mandhana at the top, while also prioritising the acquisition of an experienced seamer, including the possibility of bringing back Renuka, to strengthen their bowling unit.

Among overseas options, Laura and Georgia are seen as strong candidates to support Smriti at the top. The franchise holds a Right-To-Match card for an uncapped player, which could be used to re-acquire leg-spin all-rounder Prema Rawat, who broke into the India A setup this year.

Three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals are clearly aiming for a solid opener to partner Shafali Verma, while their retained players, Jemimah Rodrigues and Niki Prasad, along with pace-bowling all-rounders Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp, provide balance in the middle order.

DC is expected to focus on strengthening its spin department and adding an experienced wicketkeeper. If DC doesn’t buy back Meg, they could select either Alyssa or Laura, both of whom not only fill the opening slot but also stand out as strong captaincy contenders.

Gujarat Giants, who reached the WPL playoffs for the first time this year, have three RTM cards available, though they can use them to buy back three Indian players after retaining the Australian duo of Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney.

In that case, Harleen, Kashvee, Priya Mishra, and Tanuja Kanwer emerge as likely options to buy back through RTM. At the mega auction, GG will also prioritise strengthening its lower order by purchasing experienced Indian batters and bolstering a bowling attack that was somewhat vulnerable last season.

Meanwhile, UP Warriorz enter with a near blank slate and the largest purse, giving them considerable flexibility to rebuild after finishing at the bottom of the table last season. With batting inconsistencies and a misfiring bowling unit still fresh in memory, UPW may focus on acquiring experienced Indian players and securing overseas match-winners, while also seeking a new captain.

In that case, Harleen, Kashvee, Priya Mishra, and Tanuja Kanwer emerge as likely options to buy back through RTM. At the mega auction, GG will also prioritise strengthening its lower order by purchasing experienced Indian batters and bolstering a bowling attack that was somewhat vulnerable last season.

As the focus is sharply on the mega auction floor and franchises arrive with their strategies to secure marquee names, the stage is set for newly crowned World Cup winners and other high-profile players to attract record bids. This highlights the league’s growing stature and the rising value of World Cup-winning players in the cricketing world.