November 7, 2024: The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 is just around the corner, and the anticipation for the upcoming mega auction is building up. Ahead of the auction, each team has announced their retained players, and this list will be crucial in shaping the strategies for the 2025 season.
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While the full list of retained players has yet to be confirmed by all teams, here’s a breakdown of the teams and key players who are likely to be retained or have already been officially announced. These retained players are expected to play a pivotal role in their teams, and their inclusion in the squad will likely influence the team’s auction strategy.
Retained Players :
1. Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Harmanpreet Kaur
- Amandeep Kaur
- Yastika Bhatia
- Keerthana Balakrishnan
- Pooja Vastrakar
2. Delhi Capitals (DC)
- Shafali Verma
- Meg Lanning
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Marizanne Kapp
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
- Smriti Mandhana
- Ellyse Perry
- Richa Ghosh
- Sophie Devine
4. UP Warriorz (UPW)
- Alyssa Healy (Captain, Australia)
- Deepti Sharma (All-rounder, India)
- Tahlia McGrath (All-rounder, Australia)
- Shweta Sehrawat (Batter)
5. Gujarat Giants (GG)
- Beth Mooney
- Ashleigh Gardner
- Mannat Kashyap
- Harleen Deol
Captaincy & Leadership: Players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Alyssa Healy, and Meg Lanning have established themselves as leaders of their respective teams and are expected to be central figures in their squads. Their leadership will be critical, especially as the WPL evolves into one of the premier women’s leagues in world cricket.
International Stars: Teams like RCB, DC, MI, and GG are sure to retain top international players like Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, and Sophie Ecclestone, given their proven skills and leadership qualities.
Indian Core: The retention of Indian players like Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, and Deepti Sharma speaks to the importance of having a strong local core, which can both complement international stars and build the team’s long-term identity in the WPL.
- All-rounders: Players like Ashleigh Gardner, Deepti Sharma, and Tahlia McGrath add balance to the squad with their all-round skills. All-rounders have become increasingly valuable in T20 cricket, offering flexibility in both the batting and bowling departments.
While the retained players give us a sense of the core group each franchise is building around, the mega auction will still be a crucial part of team-building. Teams will look to strengthen their squads by targeting high-performing international stars, emerging talents, and specific skill sets like spin bowling, power-hitting, or depth in batting.
The final list of retained players will be confirmed closer to the auction, but this initial breakdown provides a strong sense of how the teams are positioning themselves for the 2025 season.
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