# WPL 2027 auction: UP Warriorz buy Australia captain Sophie Molineux for INR 1.10 crore, Athapaththu unsold

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/cricket/wpl-2027-auction-up-warriorz-buy-australia-captain-sophie-molineux-for-inr-110)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 28 Oct 2026
Updated: 28 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 28 Oct 2026

> The mini-auction in Kochi opened with Molineux the top buy and Kiran Navgire going to Delhi Capitals. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu and England's Sophia Dunkley drew no bids in the first round.

**UP Warriorz bought Australia captain Sophie Molineux for INR 1.10 crore, the top price in the early bidding at the WPL 2027 auction in Kochi on Wednesday 28 October**, [ESPNcricinfo reported](https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1560430.html). Her former team Royal Challengers Bengaluru pushed the bid to INR 1.05 crore before dropping out.

## Players bought in the first six sets

| Team | Players (price) |
|---|---|
| UP Warriorz | Sophie Molineux (INR 1.10 crore), Sneh Rana (30 lakh), Grace Harris (30 lakh), Sushma Verma (30 lakh) |
| Delhi Capitals | Kiran Navgire (75 lakh) |
| Gujarat Giants | G Kamalini (40 lakh), Orla Prendergast (30 lakh) |
| Mumbai Indians | Disha Kasat, Latika Inamdar, Bharti Rawal (10 lakh each) |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | none yet |

## Unsold so far

- **Chamari Athapaththu**, Sri Lanka captain, base price INR 30 lakh.
- **Sophia Dunkley**, England batter, who had listed herself at the top base price of INR 50 lakh.
- **Shweta Sehrawat**, the only player UP Warriorz retained before the 2026 season.
- **Every capped fast bowler and spinner** in the first round, ESPNcricinfo noted.

## Why Molineux went so high

Molineux led Australia to their **seventh T20 World Cup title in July** and is their leading wicket-taker this year. UP Warriorz had the biggest purse, INR 3.75 crore, and eight places to fill after releasing nine players. RCB, the defending champions, came in with just INR 1.15 crore and had not bought anyone after six sets. Mumbai Indians, with the smallest purse of INR 90 lakh, bought all three uncapped players sold so far.

G Kamalini, whom Mumbai bought for INR 1.60 crore before the 2025 season, went to Gujarat for her INR 40 lakh base price, and Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast gets her first WPL contract. Sneh Rana joins her fourth WPL team and will play under Meg Lanning alongside Deepti Sharma.

## Pakistan and the WPL

Pakistan players do not take part in the WPL. For Pakistan women's fixtures and squad, see our [Pakistan women's cricket page](/news/cricket/pakistan-womens-cricket-team-squad-captain-fixtures-and-results); India women's 3-0 ODI sweep of Zimbabwe on Wednesday, led by Vaishnavi Sharma's 5 for 39, is on our [India women vs Zimbabwe page](/news/cricket/india-women-vs-zimbabwe-women-series-results).

*This report covers the opening rounds; the auction was still running at the time of writing.*

## Frequently asked questions

**Who was the most expensive player at the WPL 2027 auction?**

Australia captain Sophie Molineux, bought by UP Warriorz for INR 1.10 crore in the early rounds of the auction in Kochi on 28 October 2026, ESPNcricinfo reported.

**Was Chamari Athapaththu sold in the WPL 2027 auction?**

She went unsold in the first round at her base price of INR 30 lakh, ESPNcricinfo reported. Unsold players can come back in later rounds if a team asks for them.

## Sources

- UP Warriorz buy Sophie Molineux for INR 1.10 crore; RCB quiet in early bidding (ESPNcricinfo): https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1560430.html

How to cite: "WPL 2027 auction: UP Warriorz buy Australia captain Sophie Molineux for INR 1.10 crore, Athapaththu unsold", Searchable, 28 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/cricket/wpl-2027-auction-up-warriorz-buy-australia-captain-sophie-molineux-for-inr-110