Royal Challengers Bengaluru have released Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, D Hemalatha and Gautami Nayak ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 season. Ellyse Perry, who missed the previous edition, has made herself available to play for the defending champions again.
RCB Release Four Players Before the WPL 2027 Auction
The defending champions have kept 13 players, nine Indians and four overseas cricketers. Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell and Nadine de Klerk are among those who remain. Harris, Smith, Hemalatha and Nayak leave the squad as RCB prepare for the fifth edition of the league.
RCB now have five open slots for the auction, two of them for overseas players. Their remaining purse is INR 1.15 crore. The mini-auction takes place on October 28 in Kochi, and the tournament runs from January 14 to February 7. Across all five teams, 27 slots are open, and up to seven can go to overseas players.
Ellyse Perry Makes Herself Available for WPL 2027
Perry withdrew from the 2026 season and cited personal reasons. She indicated in August that she would gladly return to RCB, according to head coach Malolan Rangarajan. The coaching group met soon after to discuss how to improve the squad.
Rangarajan said Perry strengthens the team in every department. He also said the franchise benefited from keeping a major core of its players. Her return led the management to consider how to balance the roster, and the staff will look for suitable options in the auction. Each squad can have a maximum of 18 players, including six from overseas, so any new signing has to fit within those limits.
SUGGESTED READ: RCB Clinch Second WPL Title with Record 204 Chase Against DC in 2026 Final
Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz Announce Release Lists
Delhi Capitals released Alana King, Lizelle Lee, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Pragati Singh and Eddla Srujana. They have five slots to fill, one for an overseas player, and INR 1.10 crore to spend.
Gujarat Giants let go of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Ayushi Soni, Titas Sadhu and Shivani Singh. Wyatt-Hodge played one game last season as a back-up opener to Beth Mooney and Sophie Devine. Head coach Michael Klinger said the team wants to explore other overseas skill sets in the auction. Gujarat have three vacancies and INR 1.25 crore.
Mumbai Indians released Milly Illingworth, G Kamalini, Saika Ishaque, Kranthi Reddy, Poonam Khemnar and Triveni Vasistha. Kamalini is understood to be unavailable for the WPL because it overlaps with the 2027 U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Mumbai have seven open slots and the smallest purse at INR 1 crore.
UP Warriorz released nine players, including overseas names Deandra Dottin, Chloe Tryon, Charli Knott and Amy Jones. Jones had replaced Phoebe Litchfield, and Knott had come in for Tara Norris. Dottin scored 57 runs in three games at a strike rate of 103.63 in WPL 2026. Head coach Abhishek Nayar said the team wants a batter who can score at a strike rate of 130 to 140, and that Dottin’s batting had declined over the past year. UP Warriorz finished last in the 2026 table. They have seven slots open and the biggest purse at INR 3.65 crore.
For the latest cricket news and updates, follow JeetWin Sports.
