India, Nov. 4 -- The upcoming WPL mega auction isn't just about fresh cheques, it is about deciding whose faces define the next cycle of the tournament. After India's World Cup win and three chaotic, brilliant WPL seasons, the retention deadlines has suddenly become the real first ball of the 2026 season.

By 5 November 2025, all five franchises must tell the BCCI which pieces of their core they are ready to bet on again and which stars they are willing to throw back in the bidding war in New Delhi, expected between 26-29 November.

From BCCI's guidelines, we have the following:

Retention deadline: 5 November 2025

Auction window: reportedly 26-29 November in New Delhi

Purse per team: Rs.15 cr

Maximum retentions: 5 players

Retention r...