India's cricket World Cup-winning star Deepti Sharma became the joint second-most expensive player in the Women's Premier League history after a winning bid of $358 000 by UP Warriorz on Thursday.
The mega auction in New Delhi opened with a surprise after Australia skipper Alyssa Healy went unsold, as franchises finalised their teams for the fourth edition of the women's T20 tournament.
New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr was the most expensive foreign buy with current champions Mumbai Indians getting the White Ferns star back in the franchise for $335 000.
Women's cricket came of age in the ODI World Cup with hosts India crowned champions after they beat South Africa at a packed DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai earlier this month.
Warriorz brought back Deepti, a right-arm spinner and left-hand batter who was the player of the tournament with 22 wickets and 215 runs.
The most expensive player ever sold at the WPL auction is India's Smriti Mandhana, who was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for 34 million rupees ($380 000) in 2023.
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧 🔒
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) November 27, 2025
Presenting the squads for #TATAWPL 2026 🔥
How does your favourite team stack up after the #TATAWPLAuction? 🤔@DelhiCapitals | @Giant_Cricket | @mipaltan | @RCBTweets | @UPWarriorz pic.twitter.com/I2H01eqNgQ
Second on the list are Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner and England's Nat-Sciver Brunt who were sold for $358 000 in the 2023 auction.
Warriorz also got back England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for $95 000.
Warriorz used the right-to-match card – a rule that allows franchises to retain a player who was released by matching the highest bid – for both Deepti and Ecclestone.
Another big signing for Warriorz was Australia legend Meg Lanning, who went to the franchise for $212 000 and is seen as a potential captain.
Some other notable foreign picks included New Zealand allrounder Sophie Devine ($223 000 - Gujarat Giants), Australia batter Phoebe Litchfield ($134 000 - Warriorz) and South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt ($123 000 - Delhi Capitals).
The most shocking outcome of the auction was that 35-year-old Healy had no takers after she missed this year's edition due to injury.
Next year's WPL begins on 9 January with the final scheduled for 5 February.
The WPL, staged first in 2023, delivered the Indian cricket board roughly $700 million in franchise and media rights alone.
The deals made the WPL the world's second-most valuable women's sports league after WNBA women's basketball in the United States.