England batter Sophia Dunkley and Australian skipper Sophie Molineux are listed in the highest base-price slab of INR 50 crore each for the WPL 2027 Auction.

The upcoming bidding event scheduled for October 28 (Wednesday) in Kochi will feature 146 players going under the hammer. Out of these, franchises will have 27 slots, including 20 for Indians and 7 for overseas players.

Overall Players and Slots Available in the WPL 2027 Auction Pool

• Registered players for the WPL 2027 auction: 146
  • Indians: 119 (Capped Players: 22 + Uncapped Players: 97)
  • Overseas: 27 (Capped Players: 14 + Uncapped Players: 13)
    
• Available Slots to fill in the Auction Pool: 27
  • Indians: 20
  • Overseas: 07
    
• Franchise having the highest slots to fill: UP Warriorz (08 slots to fill— 5 Indians + 3 Overseas)
  
• Franchise having the lowest slots to fill: Gujarat Giants(03  slots to fill— 2 Indians + 1 Overseas)

Players Registered in Highest Base Price Slab For WPL 2027 Auction

Here is the list of players who have registered in the highest base price slab for WPL 2027, with Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Molineux leading the charts:

Options Available For Franchises to Sign In Dunkley and Molineux

Based on the overall purse availability and overseas player slots availability, all five franchises need to plan strategically to sign Sophia Dunkley and  Sophie Molineux at the WPL 2027 auction.

After scrutinizing the above list, it is understood that UP Warriorz has higher chances to secure either of them— Dunkley or Molineux. With the largest purse value of INR 3.75 crore and the option to fill upto 3 overseas players, the franchise can bid aggressively to secure the services of the overseas star cricketers.

While Mumbai Indians are ruled out of options to sign any foreign cricketer, Royal Challengers Bengaluru emerge as another strong contender to acquire any one of the overseas key players. If such happens, then Molineux could make a comeback to RCB’s squad once again.

Dunkley and Molineux Enter WPL 2027 Mini Auction

Sophie Molineux played a crucial role in the triumphant campaign of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the WPL 2024 edition. In 10 matches, she compiled 78 runs, but her bowling stats were impressive. Molineux took 12 wickets at an average of 23.16 and an economy of 7.31.

Even though she was retained for the subsequent season (in 2025), she was ruled out of the entire season due to a knee injury. The Australian all-rounder didn’t register for the WPL 2026 auction and missed out on being a part of RCB’s winning squad led by Smriti Mandhana.

On the other hand, Sophia Dunkley represented Gujarat Giants in 2023. This was her only season in WPL, having scored 121 runs in 6 matches. The 28-year-old skipped the registration process for the 2024 edition and failed to attract a bid in the 2025 player auction. 

Final Thoughts

Notably, Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Molineux are the only two cricketers to have registered for the highest base price of INR 50 crore. The duo of overseas players at the top of the list highlights the value and experience that they can offer to the franchise for the upcoming season.

As there are only 20 slots available for Indian players during the auction, the remaining seven positions remain open across all five teams to sign overseas stars. Even though there is an imbalance between supply and demand, it is guaranteed that there could be fierce competition and an intense bidding war to acquire established star cricketers.

With tight purse constraints and 27 positions available, the WPL 2027 auction promises to be highly strategic. Additionally, the presence of top-tier foreign stars like Dunkley and Molineux adds further intrigue to the contest.

Ultimately, the player auction in Kochi could help add proper balance to the squads, as franchise owners hope their investment converts into long-term success on the field.