TL;DR
- Alyssa Healy, Australian captain, went unsold at the 2026 Women’s Premier League Auction.
- She was the only marquee player with no bids, despite a strong reputation.
- Injury absence from this year's WPL and perceived lack of versatility were cited.
- Other Australian players like Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield secured lucrative deals.
Australia cricket captain Alyssa Healy has sensationally gone unsold at the 2026 Women’s Premier League Auction, watching on as 13 of her compatriots picked up lucrative franchise pay days.
Due to injury, Healy was absent from this year's WPL competition. She was the sole player among the initial eight marquee selections for 2026 who did not find a buyer, as she received no bids at her starting price of AU$85,600.
Following the conclusion of the multi-million-dollar player auction, nine Australian players were selected by new franchises. Healy's previous team, the UP Warriorz, based in Lucknow, opted to invest heavily in acquiring Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield instead.
Despite recent injury concerns, the 35-year-old Healy was anticipated to draw offers reaching AU$300,000, especially given her recent consecutive centuries in the Women’s ICC World Cup and her established reputation as a premier white-ball cricketer globally.
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“Healy going unsold was surprising,” UP Warriorz coach Abhishek Nayar said after the auction, before suggesting a perceived lack of versatility may have counted against the Australian veteran.
“When you’re allowed only four overseas players (in your XI) your options are limited and many teams prefer all-rounders in their set-up, it’s a tough situation for someone of her stature.”
Besides the nine Australians acquired during the auction, prominent white-ball cricketers Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Annabell Sutherland (Delphi Capitals), Beth Mooney (Gujarat Giants), and Ash Gardner (Gujarat Giants) were also retained by their respective teams.
India will host the 2026 WPL competition from January 9th to February 5th in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara.
Australians sold in the 2026 WPL Auction
- Lucy Hamilton - Delhi Capitals ($17,000)
- Georgia Wareham - Gujarat Giants ($171,000)
- Kim Garth - Gujarat Giants ($85,600)
- Nicola Carey - Mumbai Indians ($85,600)
- Milly Illingworth - Mumbai Indians ($17,100)
- Grace Harris - Royal Challengers Bengaluru ($128,500)
- Georgia Voll - Royal Challengers Bengaluru ($102,800)
- Meg Lanning - UP Warriorz ($325,500)
- Phoebe Litchfield - UP Warriorz ($205,000)