WPL 2026 Auction: Meet the uncapped Indian players who could be on franchises’ radar

In its three seasons so far, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) has already proven to be a launchpad for talented cricketers to shine and enter the Indian team. Players such as N. Sree Charani and Kranti Gaud are prime examples of this trend, as the duo played pivotal roles in India’s recent triumph in the ODI World Cup. 

Before them, players like Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, Asha Sobhana, Kashvee Gautam, and Titas Sadhu first came to prominence through the WPL and graduated to the national setup following standout performances in the competition.

In the mega auction for the 2026 WPL, scheduled for Thursday in New Delhi, though marquee internationals will dominate the spotlight, the eyes of fans will be on the gems franchises unearthed from the vast pool of 142 uncapped Indian players.

IANS looks at some uncapped cricketers, who have never featured in the league before, and could ignite intense bidding wars in the upcoming WPL auction:

Vaishnavi Sharma (Base Price – INR 10 lakh)

The left-arm spinner announced her arrival on the big stage with a hat-trick during India's victorious U-19 World Cup campaign in Malaysia this year, where she also ended up at the top of the wicket-taking charts. Since then, her trajectory has been nothing short of exceptional.

Vaishnavi dominated the recent Senior Women's T20 Trophy by being the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps coming in 11 matches at an economy rate of 6.47. She maintained her purple patch through the inter-zonal tournament by picking up 12 wickets in five matches for Central Zone.

Both tournaments had been closely watched by WPL scouts on the ground, and they would have taken note of Vaishnavi’s ability to extract a sharp turn by bowling slower through the air. With left-arm spinners set to be in heavy demand, expect teams to be in a bidding war for Vaishnavi, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, a state that has produced Indian players like Pooja Vastrakar and Kranti Gaud.

Deeya Yadav (Base Price – INR 10 lakh)

The hard-hitting top-order batter, who has consciously modelled her game on fellow Haryana opener Shafali Verma, enjoyed a breakout time in the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, amassing 298 runs in eight innings at an impressive average of 59.5 and a strike rate of 128, including hitting three half-centuries.

Deeya maintained her explosive form in the inter-zonal T20s, amassing 151 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 149.5, and took North Zone to the final. The lanky opener’s range of shots has caught the attention of scouts.

The Gurugram-based Deeya first came into the limelight in November 2023 when she smashed an unbeaten 213 off 125 balls against Tripura in the U-15 Women's One-Day Trophy at Raipur.

Mamatha Madiwala (Base Price – INR 10 lakh)

Many teams will be looking for a wicketkeeper-batter who can be a handy addition in the lower order, and someone like Mamatha fits the bill. She came into attention when she hit 56 not out in India A’s four-wicket win over New Zealand via DLS method in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup warm-up match at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru.

Though Shafali Verma top-scored with a 49-ball 70, Mamatha’s 56 not out off 60 balls, laced with six fours and a maximum, took India A over the line in what was also her debut game for the side. Representing Hyderabad in domestic cricket, Mamatha was a member of the Indian team at the 2023 Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Hong Kong.

Tanisha Singh (Base Price – INR 10 lakh)

Apart from her Delhi team-mates Bharti Rawal and Nazma Khan, another player from the national capital who will have the attention of all teams will be batting all-rounder Tanisha Singh.

She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Season for her all-round performance in the 2025 Women’s DPL, including hitting an unbeaten 76. Apart from being a handy off-spin bowler, Tanisha captained Delhi to the U23 Women’s T20 Trophy win in the previous season.

G. Trisha (Base Price – INR 10 lakh)

The Hyderabad-based opener had registered for WPL auctions before, but could never find any takers. But if her performances in 2025 are to go by, she may well find a team this time around in the mega auction.

Trisha played a key role in India retaining its U19 Women’s T20 World Cup title by scoring 309 runs in seven innings and taking nine wickets with her leg-spin bowling. In the final, she top-scored with an unbeaten 44 and took three wickets to pick up the Player of the Match award.

After making 147 runs in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, Trisha is currently playing the U23 Women’s T20 Trophy, and with two U19 World Cup wins under her belt, teams will be tempted to rope in Trisha for the upcoming season.