The WPL mega-auction took place today with 277 players vying for 73 spots, 23 of which could be filled by overseas players. Here are the biggest names who went unsold.
India all-rounder and World Cup winner Deepti Sharma made headlines early on the auction, as she was sold back to UP Warriorz for INR 3.2 crore. The franchise used their Right-To-Match option after choosing not to retain her, and also bought back England's Sophie Ecclestone. Sharma was the most expensive player sold in the auction, and the joint-second most expensive player in the competition's history, behind Smriti Mandhana in the inaugural auction.
Another big winner was New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, who went to Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crore, and India's Shikha Pandey. Pandey hasn't played for India since 2023 but picked up a big pay day after UP Warriorz bought her for INR 2.4 crore. Retired White Ferns captain Sophie Devine was another big winner, going to Gujarat Giants for 2 crore.
Among the winners however, some big names went unsold. Australia's captain Alyssa Healy wasn't picked up in the opening round, and her name didn't come up in the later accelerated rounds. Fellow Australian, Alana King, also went unsold, as did England all-rounder Alice Capsey.
Also read: The WPL 2026 auction, as it happened
Who were the big names who went unsold at the WPL mega-auction 2025?
Alyssa Healy – The Australia wicketkeeper batter has played for UP Warriorz since 2023, but was released by them this year as they looked to overhaul their squad. Instead, UP opted for Meg Lanning, who was released by Delhi ahead of the auction, and Phoebe Litchfield who was released by Gujarat, for their top-order overseas options, also buying Pratika Rawal in the accelerated round.
Alana King – While King is another big name to miss out, her omission is less surprising than Healy's. King has only ever played one WPL match before, for UP Warriorz last season, where she went of 0-38 from three overs. She may have hoped a successful World Cup campaign in India would have changed some minds.
Alice Capsey – Capsey has played in every edition of the WPL so far, but only played one game for Delhi Capitals last year. She took 4-14 just before the auction in the WBBL, but it wasn't enough to get her a last minute deal.
Issy Wong - It's been a good year for Wong, after she was recalled to the England T20I side over the summer. But, having been released by Mumbai Indians she didn't find a home elsewhere this time around, and was one of several England internationals who weren't picked up.
Heather Knight – Knight played for RCB in the first edition of the WPL, but hasn't found a buyer since.
Tazmin Brits – Brits may have been hoping that her stellar run of form this year would convince team owners to give her her first WPL gig. However, she was passed over.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
