With the excitement building around the TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction, former India captain Mithali Raj has shared her top picks for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). She believes the franchise should retain Ellyse Perry, Smriti Mandhana, and Richa Ghosh as their key players going into the next season.
RCB’s Ideal Retentions, According to Mithali Raj
Speaking during the TATA WPL Retention Preview on JioHotstar, Mithali Raj, alongside cricket experts Veda Krishnamurthy and Saba Karim, discussed each team’s retention strategies and future plans.
Mithali highlighted RCB’s balanced mix of overseas and Indian stars, saying:
“RCB should definitely retain Ellyse Perry — she’s been a match-winner with both bat and ball. Georgia Wareham adds great value with her leg-spin and middle-order hitting. Among Indian players, Smriti Mandhana is an automatic choice, and Richa Ghosh is another must-keep as a wicketkeeper-batter.”
She also suggested Sneh Rana or Kanika Ahuja as strong Indian all-round options and praised VJ Joshita, an uncapped player who impressed in limited opportunities.
Mumbai Indians’ Retention Puzzle
Discussing the Mumbai Indians (MI), Mithali said the team faces a challenging decision among star overseas all-rounders Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, and Hayley Matthews. She expects Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot Kaur to stay, while she praised uncapped talent Gunalan Kamalini for her power-hitting this season.
Adding his take, Saba Karim recommended MI to “maximize their retention slots” by keeping Harmanpreet Kaur, Yastika Bhatia, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Chloe Tryon, calling Kamalini “a player for the future.”
Delhi Capitals’ Leadership Plans
Veda Krishnamurthy focused on Delhi Capitals (DC), noting the importance of preparing a new leader for the future.
“While Meg Lanning remains crucial, Delhi should groom an Indian captain for the long run,” she said.
She picked Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Annabel Sutherland as essential retentions, while praising Niki Prasad as an emerging Indian talent.
UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants’ Strategies
Mithali made a suggestion for the UP Warriorz to keep Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Voll, and Georgia Wareham as the only overseas players. She also included Deepti Sharma, Kranti Goud, and Kiran Navgire from the Indian talents pool. In contrast, for Gujarat Giants, she mentioned that Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney are the ones who must be kept, and Bharati Fulmali and Kashvee Gautam can be the Indian core. Moreover, she also pointed out Shabnam Shakil as a potential uncapped player.
With the WPL 2026 coming up, all the teams are adjusting their rosters. The retention decisions are going to be very important in determining the direction of the season.
