With the dates for the upcoming Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026) mega-auction slated for November 26-27, all focus will now shift to the franchises for their respective list of retained and released players.
Notably, according to retention rules, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of five players, of which a maximum of three Indian capped players are allowed, followed by two overseas players or two uncapped Indian players. In case a franchise decides to use all five retain slots, it is mandatory to have an uncapped player and they will also not have any Right to Match option (RTM) in the auction.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women side, which broke their title jinx before the men’s team in WPL 2024, had a forgettable last season. The Smriti Mandhana-led side finished second last in the five-team points table with just three wins from eight games and will look to make an overhaul in the mega-auction to come back strong next season.
RCB are known for backing their loyal custodians and proven matchwinners. However, with a maximum of only five retentions allowed, RCB will only be able to keep their top priorities ahead of the WPL 2026 Auction. Here’s a look at the likely RCB Retention List:
RCB will look to retain a core around which the team can be formed. The players offering multi-dimensional skills or forming the leadership are more likely to be retained. The potential names are:
Smriti Mandhana – She is the captain and have also led the franchise to their maiden title. Apart from her leadership, Smriti is an exceptional batting talent who has looked in tremendous form this year and is one of the best batters in the world currently.
Ellyse Perry – The Aussie all-rounder has been a loyal custodian of the RCB and have been with them for all three years of the WPL. In Ellyse, RCB have the second-highest run-scorer in tournament history and match-winner, who can also make crucial contributions with the ball.
Richa Ghosh – The youngster packs explosive power and RCB have a set finisher in her for the future. Her retention also solves the wicketkeeper role.
Renuka Singh – The experienced Indian pacer can bowl in the powerplay as well as the death and is one of the prime fast bowlers in business.
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RCB will could look to part ways with a few underperformers or ageing players who don’t fit into the franchise’s future plans. Here’s the expected RCB Released Players List:
These are the key players who might face the exit from RCB:
Sneh Rana – After going unsold at the auction last year, she joined as an injury replacement for Shreyanka Patil and could only manage an average campaign.
Shreyanka Patil – She has been suffering through a series of injuries which forced her to miss last season and she hasn’t looked her best after return.
Sophie Devine – The New Zealand cricketer is already 36-year-old and it can be presumed that she doesn’t feature in RCB’s plans going forward.
Here’s how the RCB squad might look after retentions and releases:
Category: Retained
Smriti Mandhana, Ellyse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh
Category: Released
Danni Wyatt, Sabbineni Meghana, Charlie Dean, Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham, Joshitha VJ, Kanika Ahuja, Kim Garth, Prema Rawat, Raghvi Bisht, Sneh Rana, Nuzhat Parween, Ekta Bisht, Jagravi Pawar, Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Devine, Asha Sobhana, Kate Cross
Captaincy Status
The RCB Women captaincy status remains sorted for now. It is expected that Smriti Mandhana will continue leading the side for the next season.
With gaps to plug in both their batting and bowling departments, RCB are likely to target:
Pratika Rawal – The 25-year-old has been a revelation in India colours and is currently having a tremendous Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign. She already opens with Smriti Mandhana for the country and RCB might look to get the explosive duo in the WPL also.
Georgia Wareham – She was brilliant last season, finishing as RCB’s top wicket-taker and also impressed with the bat with her hitting abilities. RCB will definitely look to bring the Aussie back at the WPL 2026 auction.
Shreyanka Patil – She was the highest wicket-taker during RCB’s title-winning campaign in 2024 and RCB might look to buy her back by using the RTM power at the auction.
Likely names include Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Ellyse Perry.
Possible releases include Danni Wyatt, Sabbineni Meghana, Charlie Dean, and Sneh Rana.
Focus on opening combination, experienced overseas stars in specific roles, and plugging gaps in middle order and bowling depth.
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