RCB Retain 13 Players, Release Four Ahead of WPL 2027

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have retained 13 players and released four ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027, keeping the core of their title-winning squad intact.

RCB have retained nine Indian and four overseas players, while releasing Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, Gautami Naik and Dayalan Hemalatha. The franchise will now look to strengthen its squad at the WPL 2027 player auction, which is scheduled for October 28 in Kochi.

The fifth edition of the WPL will be played from January 14 to February 7, 2027, with all five franchises required to finalise their retention lists by September 28 before heading into the auction. The auction will be held at the Grand Hyatt Kochi.

RCB enter the new season as two-time WPL champions after winning the 2026 title. They defeated Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the final at Vadodara on February 5, chasing down 204 runs in 19.4 overs. It was the highest successful run chase in WPL history.

Captain Smriti Mandhana produced a sensational 87 off 41 balls, while Georgia Voll scored 79. The pair shared a record-breaking 165-run partnership as RCB completed the chase with two balls to spare.

The biggest boost for RCB ahead of the 2027 campaign is the return of Ellyse Perry. The Australian all-rounder missed the 2026 season due to personal reasons but confirmed her availability for the upcoming edition. RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan said Perry's return strengthens the team in all departments and influenced the franchise's retention strategy.

RCB have retained Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Prathyoosha Kumar and Sayali Satghare.

The franchise released Grace Harris, Linsey Smith, Gautami Naik and Dayalan Hemalatha as part of its squad reshuffle.

RCB will have ₹1.15 crore available for the October 28 auction as they look to add further depth to the squad. Rangarajan said the team had retained a major part of its championship-winning core while also looking at how it could improve its combination during the auction.

RCB's retention strategy therefore provides continuity around Mandhana, Perry, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil and Georgia Voll, while the upcoming auction will give the defending champions an opportunity to fill the remaining gaps ahead of the January 2027 season.