WPL 2027 auction: 3 big stars who went unsold

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 mini-auction was held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Kochi on Wednesday, October 28. A total of 27 slots were on offer across the five franchises, with 150 players competing to fill them. Australia’s Sophie Molineux emerged as the costliest pick of the day, going to UP Warriorz for INR 1.10 crore.

However, not every big name found a buyer. Several well-known players failed to attract bids despite their credentials, leaving them without a WPL contract heading into the 2027 season. Here is a look at three notable stars who went unsold at the auction.

3. Uma Chetry

Uma Chetry is a 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter who previously represented UP Warriorz in the WPL. Her name came up fairly early in the proceedings on October 28, but no franchise placed a bid at her base price of INR 30 lakh, leaving her unsold.

Chetry has represented India in one ODI and seven T20Is so far and is regarded as a capable glovework specialist. She was part of India’s squad that won the ODI World Cup last year, making the fact that she went unsold all the more surprising. Chetry also holds the distinction of being the first cricketer from Assam, male or female, to represent India at the international level.

2. Sophia Dunkley

Sophia Dunkley of England was one of only two players in the WPL 2027 auction to carry a base price of INR 50 lakh, the other being Molineux.

While Dunkley’s availability during the WPL season was cited as a potential concern for franchises, she entered the auction with strong credentials, having been the third-highest run-getter in The Hundred that year. Her ability to bat anywhere in the top seven adds flexibility, yet no team chose to open bidding on the England batter.

1. Chamari Athapaththu

Chamari Athapaththu is widely regarded as one of the most consistent performers for Sri Lanka across formats throughout the year. On Wednesday, UP Warriorz held the largest remaining purse at INR 3.65 crore, and many expected them to pursue the Sri Lankan captain given her match-winning abilities with both bat and ball.

However, representatives of all five franchises remained unmoved when Athapaththu’s name came up, and she went unsold. The left-handed batter may still enter the WPL 2027 season as a replacement player, but for now she will be disappointed to have missed out at the auction.