Ranking the squads of all five teams after WPL 2025 auction
The Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 mini-auction concluded on Sunday (December 15) afternoon in Bengaluru, with a total of 120 players going under the hammer. A total of ₹9.05 crore were shelled out by the franchises to secure the services of 19 players.
Ahead of the auction, the franchise retained 71 players, including 25 overseas stars. With each team consisting of 18 members, all slots were filled by the teams. The most expensive acquisitions were Simran Shaikh (₹1.9 crore), Deandra Dottin (₹1.7 crore) and G Kamalini (₹1.6 crore).
On that note, let's rank the top five squads of all five teams after the WPL 2025 auction.
#5 Gujarat Giants
The Giants have been the worst performing side in the last two WPL seasons, finishing last in the points table both times. They shelled out the highest bid to acquire Simran Shaikh, who recently slammed 176 runs in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy in 11 games. Dottin was another notable buy, who has garnered over 2,800 runs and 67 wickets in T20Is.
They already have the likes of Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Laura Wolvaardt and Phoebe Litchfield in the batting line-up. In their pursuit to fit Dottin in the XI, either of Wolvaardt and Litchfield could be dropped.
However, the side lacks a solid punch in terms of their bowling resources. Meghna Singh and Priya Mishra are yet to prove themselves, and may not pose a strong challenge to the opposition. Due to their inexperienced bowling attack, the Giants rank last in this list.
#4 UP Warriorz
The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise have been mediocre with their performances in the last two editions. The 2024 season saw them finish fourth with three victories in eight appearances.
The biggest negative for the side was the lack of potent fast-bowling options. Other than Tahlia McGrath, none of the pacers can be considered match winners.
In the auction as well, the Warriorz failed to fill the gap and instead opted to bring spinner Alana King, while already having the presence of credible tweakers like Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
Although the likes of Alyssa Healy, Grace Harris, Chamari Athapaththu signal a strong top-order, they also need support of talented pace bowlers to defend their scores.
#3 Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals possess a batting line-up comprising Meg Lanning, Marizanne Kapp, Shafali Verma, Alice Capsey and Jemimah Rodrigues. These players are known to be consistent run-scorers and will keep the team in good stead.
With Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey and Arundhati Reddy, the side has an experienced bowling unit. With a good amount of balance in their line-up, the Capitals stood first in the points table last season, but failed to win the final.
With keeper Taniya Bhatia coming lower down the order, she could be replaced by associate player Sarah Bryce, who is a fresh acquisition by the franchise in the auction.
The fourth overseas slot may come down to between Jess Jonassen/Annabel Sutherland, who are talented all-rounders. All in all, the franchise may continue their good run in the league.
#2 Mumbai Indians
One of the finest sides in the WPL, Mumbai Indians rank second on the list due to the presence of many match-winners.
All-rounders like Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Pooja Vastrakar have been proven performers in crunch situations. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia were impressive with 200+ runs in the last season.
Furthermore, South African stars Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail further bolster MI's resources for the 2025 edition.
#1 Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The Smriti Mandhana-led side created history in the 2024 season as Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their maiden title victory in franchise cricket.
On the batting front, RCB have Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh and Sophie Devine. Interestingly, the franchise traded experienced Dani Wyatt to their side ahead of the season, which puts them in a sweet spot.
Kate Cross and Renuka Singh are quality options in the pace department. Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molineux and Asha Sobhana spun the web around the opposition batters in the last season and would look to continue the same form.
All in all, RCB are positioned well to defend their title in the 2025 season, as they have credible players in all departments.