Ranking best to worst WPL 2025 squads after retention announcement
On Thursday, November 7, all five Women's Premier League (WPL) franchises unveiled their retention lists for the 2025 season. With the auction set to be a mini one, teams have opted to retain their core players.
A total of 71 players were kept, while 25 were released. Before the retention announcements, Danielle Wyatt was traded from UP Warriorz Women to Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women. While most teams have held on to their star players, some notable names were let go.
With the retention process now complete, we rank all the teams from best to worst ahead of the WPL 2025 auction.
#5 Gujarat Giants Women
Gujarat Giants had a disappointing campaign in the 2024 WPL, finishing at the bottom of the points table with just two wins from eight matches. They have retained their core players, including four overseas stars - Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Laura Wolvaardt, and Phoebe Litchfield - for the upcoming season.
On the Indian side, Dayalan Hemalatha and Harleen Deol remain key players. Captain Mooney was the team’s top scorer in 2024, accumulating 285 runs across eight innings.
However, she struggled to get consistent support from her teammates, with Gardner managing only 120 runs and Litchfield contributing just 108. Harleen missed most of the tournament due to a knee injury, while Hemalatha had an underwhelming performance, scoring only 115 runs.
The team’s middle order was a major weakness, and Gujarat will hope their senior players step up in 2025. In a surprising move, the franchise released several notable players, including Kathryn Bryce, Lauren Cheatle, Lea Tahuhu, and Sneh Rana.
Tahuhu, who was part of the New Zealand squad that recently won the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, and Sneh Rana, the experienced Indian all-rounder, were let go, signaling a bold shift in the team’s strategy.
Gujarat will hope their their star performers have a strong showing in the 2025 season and receive valuable support from the young Indian players.
#4 UP Warriorz Women
Alyssa Healy’s UP Warriorz fell short of a playoff spot in the 2024 season, finishing fourth. The team has retained its key overseas players, including captain Healy, Chamari Athapaththu, Grace Harris, Sophie Ecclestone, and Tahlia McGrath, while parting ways with England pacer Lauren Bell.
Deepti Sharma remains the standout Indian player in the squad. She proved her worth in the 2024 edition, scoring 295 runs in eight matches, including three fifties, and taking 10 wickets.
However, other Indian players like Kiran Navgire (110 runs) and Shweta Sehrawat (108 runs) struggled to make a significant impact, leaving the team heavily reliant on their star players to deliver in every match.
In the bowling department, Sophie Ecclestone was impressive, taking 11 wickets, but Rajeshwari Gayakwad managed only six. Once again, the team's fortunes will depend largely on the performances of their star overseas players and Deepti Sharma. Fans will hope the younger Indian talent can step up and provide much-needed support in the 2025 season.
#3 Mumbai Indians Women
The winners of the inaugural season of WPL, Mumbai Indians (MI) Women, were unable to reach the final in the 2024 season, falling to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Eliminator. Mumbai has retained its core players but surprisingly released England pacer Isabelle Wong, likely due to the presence of Shabnim Ismail.
While MI boast a formidable top and middle-order batting lineup, including Yastika Bhatia, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Amelia Kerr, their lower middle order struggled to make consistent contributions.
To challenge for a second title, Mumbai will need more from their lower-middle order, which includes Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, and S. Sanjana. With experienced Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana set to enter the auction, Mumbai will be keen to strengthen their lower middle order by securing her services.
With a strong batting and bowling lineup, Mumbai remains one of the leading contenders to lift the WPL 2025 trophy.
#2 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), led by Smriti Mandhana, have retained the core players who played a crucial role in their victory in the 2024 edition. However, the franchise has released five Indian players, including Disha Kasat, Indrani Roy, Shraddha Pokarkar, Shubha Satheesh, and Simran Bahadur.
RCB's success in 2024 was largely fueled by the consistent performances of their star players, with Ellyse Perry leading from the front. The Australian all-rounder topped the scoring charts with 347 runs, while also contributing with the ball, taking seven wickets. Smriti (300 runs) and Richa Ghosh (257 runs) also played pivotal roles when needed.
In the bowling department, RCB’s attack was equally impressive, with Shreyanka Patil (13 wickets), Asha Sobhana (12 wickets), and Sophie Molineux (12 wickets) finishing as the top three wicket-takers of the season.
With a strong squad already in place, RCB will now look to strengthen their lineup further by targeting an Indian batter and an Indian bowler in the auction. The team will hope these additions can help them defend their title in WPL 2025.
#1 Delhi Capitals Women
One of the most formidable teams in the competition, Delhi Capitals (DC) have made it to the final in both seasons, only to fall short on each occasion.
Under the leadership of Meg Lanning, they are packed with stars, including Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Radha Yadav, and Shafali Verma.
Like all other teams, Delhi has retained their core players, with Poonam Yadav being the notable player they have let go. Overall, they have a strong squad, but similar to Mumbai, they look to strengthen their lower-middle order with a dependable batter.
Otherwise, they are poised to be one of the most dangerous teams in the competition and are strong contenders for a third consecutive final appearance. Fans will be hopeful that this time, they can finally secure the trophy and add it to their cabinet.