The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 Grand Auction is characterized by some unexpected names not making the cut for retention, and no one generates more buzz than Amelia Kerr. The New Zealand athlete, celebrated for her accurate leg-spin deliveries and dominant middle-order hitting, was surprisingly let go by the Mumbai Indians (MI), which now gives all five teams an opportunity to add her to their roster.
Kerr has been an outstanding player in the WPL, and was a vital piece of MI’s championship runs. Her value goes beyond just the numbers; she brings the highly sought-after skillset of being a world-class finisher with the bat along with providing control and taking wickets with her leg-spin. Kerr’s T20 resume, including top rankings among global all-rounders as well as a MVP-like showing in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, suggests that a bidding war will take place.
3 teams that can target Amelia Kerr in WPL 2026 auction
1. Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The leadership of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has effectively held onto a solid group, keeping captain Smriti Mandhana, power hitter Richa Ghosh, and all-around stars Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil. This group features impressive batting depth and Perry gives them quality pace. In addition, Shreyanka is a dependable local off-spin option, which is very valuable on Indian pitches.
However, the RCB pitching lineup is still too predictable for batters. Kerr’s leg break would be the perfect addition to Patil’s off-spin, giving them a balanced and aggressive spin attack during the middle innings. Furthermore, Kerr’s dependable batting at number five or six would add much-needed stability as well as a late boost, taking some pressure off the top of the lineup. With four players retained, RCB still has a competitive ₹6.15 crore available to spend and one RTM card (though it won’t matter for Kerr), making them a serious and smart team when it comes to bidding for the all-rounder they really need.
2. UP Warriorz
The UP Warriorz (UPW) will enter the Mega Auction needing to make major changes, after only keeping one player, Shweta Sehrawat, which gives them the most money available at ₹14.5 crore as well as four Right to Match (RTM) cards. This gives them a financial edge when it comes to bidding on any player they want.
The Warriorz letting go of almost all of their international players, including Sophie Ecclestone and Alyssa Healy, leaves huge holes when it comes to their captaincy and their international talent. Kerr’s consistent play with both the bat and the ball makes her a great building block for UPW to start building their team. Her ability to hold down an innings or speed things up late, combined with her world-class leg-spin, is like having two players in one. Because of the scale of their rebuild, getting an established, world-class international all-rounder like Kerr, who can step right into a leadership role, would be at the top of the list for the UPW front office.
3. Delhi Capitals
The Delhi Capitals (DC) also retained their full allotment of five players—Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, and Niki Prasad—but the biggest thing is that they let go of their captain, Meg Lanning, who took them to the finals three times. While Lanning was primarily a batter, her leaving creates a void in terms of international talent and stability.
DC’s international strength is mostly in the pace-bowling all-rounders (Kapp and Sutherland). They are really missing a good wicket-taking spinner, after letting go of Jess Jonassen and Radha Yadav. Kerr is the right answer, giving DC the high-level spin that they need to compete on turning pitches, especially in the middle overs. Also, Kerr has proven that she can bat consistently and deal with pressure, making her an important piece when it comes to stabilizing the middle of the lineup after Lanning left.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
