Australia captain Sophie Molineux was the most expensive player at the Women’s Premier League 2027 auction on Wednesday 28 October, bought by UP Warriorz for INR 1.10 crore, the Hindustan Times reported.
The left-arm spinner will line up alongside former Australia captain Meg Lanning at the Warriorz, which puts the current and a former Australia captain in the same side. Mid-Day put the price at Rs 1.10 crore.
Prices in the auction are given in Indian rupees, as reported. A crore is 100 lakh.
A Big Price After a Missed Season
Molineux went into the auction with a base price of Rs 50 lakh, according to Mid-Day. The Warriorz bought her at INR 1.10 crore, the Hindustan Times reported.
She was central to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 2024 title win, the Hindustan Times reported, but did not feature in the 2026 season because of a hip injury.
Her purchase was the biggest of the auction. The Warriorz also made several other signings.
They brought back Grace Harris for INR 30 lakh. Harris played for the Warriorz from 2023 to 2025 before joining the RCB squad that won the 2026 title, according to the Hindustan Times.
Mid-Day reported that the Warriorz also signed Sneh Rana and Sushma Verma, each for Rs 30 lakh.
The franchise had released Asha Sobhana before the auction, freeing INR 1.2 crore, and then bought her back for INR 30 lakh, the Hindustan Times reported.
The Warriorz buys at the auction included Molineux, Harris, Rana, Verma, Sobhana and Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce.
The Next Biggest Buys
Kiran Navgire was the second most expensive player of the auction, going to Delhi Capitals for INR 75 lakh, according to the Hindustan Times. Delhi outbid Mumbai Indians to get her, Mid-Day reported.
Navgire made an unbeaten 105 off 36 balls at the Senior T20 Trophy the previous season, the fastest T20 century, the Hindustan Times reported.
G Kamalini went to Gujarat Giants for INR 40 lakh. Orla Prendergast, bought for INR 30 lakh, became the first Irish player in the WPL.
Champions RCB bought Jess Jonassen for INR 40 lakh and Chloe Tryon for INR 30 lakh, according to the Hindustan Times.
Associate Players and a 15-Year-Old
Two Scotland players found spots. Captain Kathryn Bryce went to UP Warriorz for INR 10 lakh, and left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon went to Delhi Capitals for the same price, the Hindustan Times reported.
Both can play as Associate players, on top of four overseas players. That means a side can field them in addition to its four overseas players.
Uma Kashvi, aged 15 years and 202 days, became the youngest player to win a WPL contract when Delhi Capitals bought her for INR 10 lakh, according to the Hindustan Times.
Who Went Unsold
All but two of the 27 available slots were filled, the Hindustan Times reported.
Teams spent INR 73.1 crore across the auction. They bought 14 uncapped players and seven overseas players, with two slots left unfilled.
Some international names missed out. Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and England’s Sophia Dunkley were among the players who went unsold, according to the Hindustan Times.
Molineux missed the 2026 season with a hip injury, and the Warriorz paid more for her than any team paid for any other player at the auction.
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Sources: Hindustan Times, “WPL auction: Sophie Molineux top buy, teams go for uncapped players”, 28 October 2026 (https://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/wpl-auction-sophie-molineux-top-buy-teams-go-for-uncapped-players-101793207961957.html); Mid-Day, “WPL auction: UP Warriorz sign Sophie Molineux for Rs 1.10 crore, bring back Grace Harris”, 28 October 2026 (https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/wpl-auction-up-warriorz-sign-sophie-molineux-for-rs-1-10-crore-bring-back-grace-harris-23657452)
Photo: Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sophie Molineux follows through for the Melbourne Renegades at Lilac Hill Park, Perth, in October 2021.
