WPL 2026 Retention: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have retained captain Smriti Mandhana and star all-rounder Ellyse Perry ahead of the Women’s Premier League 2026 season, while parting ways with Sophie Devine in a major squad reshuffle. (Image Credit: RCB)
WPL 2026 Retention: The Women's Premier League 2026 retention list brought in significant updates for Royal Challengers Bengaluru as the franchise chose to retain its core Indian players but released several big overseas names, signaling a strategic reset ahead of the new season.
Smriti Mandhana will continue to be the face of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side as the franchise captain and marquee player. During her leadership, RCB made steady progress in the previous edition of the WPL, and her retention reaffirms the team's trust in her vision and leadership.
Mandhana's consistency with the bat and her tactical awareness will make her crucial to RCB's plans for the 2026 campaign. Her presence, besides other key Indian players, does provide stability and continuity-a much-needed asset for a side still in search of its maiden WPL title.
Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry, meanwhile, has continued to be one of RCB's big guns. As an anchor at the crease, along with providing breakthroughs with the ball, Perry offers all-round credentials that ensure balance in the side.
Meanwhile, Richa Ghosh is one of India's young wicketkeeper-batters who remains an important part of the setup. Her fearless hitting down the order and steady glovework have made her one of the most impactful Indian players in the WPL. She, along with Perry and Mandhana, forms RCB's core trio going into the season.
The major retention among the Indians is Shreyanka Patil. The 21-year-old off-spinner was one of RCB’s brightest finds of the 2025 season owing to her sharp bowling and lower-order batting cameos.
Her retention shows how serious RCB is to continue nurturing young domestic talent to build a sustainable core in the future.
The list of released players does have some big names, though. The explosive New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine has been let go of; she was a regular feature for the side since the league began. Her exit, along with the Indian pacer Renuka Singh, has marked a significant change for RCB in terms of bowling.
RCB has also released several overseas stars like Kim Garth, Georgia Wareham, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, suggesting that the management could be eyeing fresh overseas signings at the WPL 2026 auction.
As many as seven Indian players - Sabbhineni Meghana, Sneh Rana, Indrani Roy, Asha Sobhana, Komal Zanzad, Shraddha Pokharkar, and Preeti Bose - have been released, which indicates the plan to refresh the squad dynamics and further strengthen depth across departments.
Retained Players: Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil
Released Players: Sabbhineni Meghana, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Sophie Devine, Kim Garth, Georgia Wareham, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Indrani Roy, Asha Sobhana, Komal Zanzad, Shraddha Pokharkar, and Preeti Bose
