The WPL 2026 Mega Auction was a whirlwind of aggressive bidding, record-breaking buys, and, as always, some truly astonishing omissions. While the spotlight often shines on the players who bag crores, the story of the unsold list often reveals the deeper, more ruthless strategic calculations of the franchises. With a limited number of slots (especially overseas) and a cap on the purse, even world-class players found themselves overlooked.

The headliner shock: Alyssa Healy

The single biggest talking point of the auction was undoubtedly Alyssa Healy going unsold at her base price of ₹50 Lakh. Current Australian captain, a destructive opener, and one of the most successful wicketkeeper-batters in T20 history. She was UP Warriorz’s captain in the first season. Reports suggest that injury concerns, particularly a recurring calf and a previous foot injury that caused her to miss part of a previous WPL season, may have made franchises cautious about spending a high initial amount and blocking a crucial overseas spot on a player with a question mark over her immediate fitness.

Star players who missed out

Beyond Healy, several other established international and domestic players were left without a franchise, reflecting the sheer tactical nature of a mega-auction. The list of unsold overseas specialists contained several surprising omissions, highlighting the ruthless strategic planning of the franchises. High-profile names like one of the world’s premier T20 leg-spinners, Alana King went unsold. This suggests teams may have either secured strong Indian spin options or opted for cheaper overseas alternatives, prioritising other positions. Furthermore, Amy Jonesa reliable international wicketkeeper-batter, suffered the same fate as Healy, as franchises preferred to use their highly valuable overseas slots on all-rounders rather than specialist keepers, a role that can be efficiently covered by Indian talent.

Complete list of Unsold players

• Alyssa Healy
• S Meghana
• Compensation Brits
• Izzy Gaze
• Amy Jones
• Uma Chetry
• Darcie Brown
• Lauren Cheatle
• Priya Mishra
• Amanda-Jade Wellington
• Alana King
• Pranavi Chandra
• Davina Perrin
• Vrinda Dinesh
• Disha Kasat
• Arushi Goel
• Sanika Chalke
• Humiraa Kaazi
• Amandeep Kaur
• Kalita intimates me
• S Yashasri
• Khushi Bhatia
• Nandini Kashyap
• Komalpreet Kour
• Shabnam Shakil
• Publication Naik
• Bharti Rawal
• Priyanka Kaushal
• Parunika Sisodia
• Jagravi Pawar

This article was first published at WomenCricket.coma Read company.