WPL 2027 auction: Who is Sophie Molineux? Australia captain becomes most expensive buy; check top 5 signings
Australia captain Sophie Molineux emerged as the most expensive player at the Women’s PremieLeague (WPL) 2027 mini-auction in Kochi on Wednesday, October 28. UP Warriorz secured the left-arm orthodox spinner and left-handed batter for ₹1.10 crore after a short bidding contest with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Grand Hyatt. She was the only player to cross the ₹1 crore mark.
The five franchises had 27 slots to fill from a pool of 150 players. Bidding was cautious early on, with only a handful of the first 50 players sold, before activity picked up in the accelerated rounds.
Who is Sophie Molineux?
Sophie Grace Molineux, born on 17 January 1998 in Bairnsdale, Victoria, is a 28-year-old all-rounder who bowls left-arm orthodox spin and bats left-handed. She made her international debut in 2018 and has been a key member of Australia’s white-ball setup. She was appointed all-format captain of the Australian women’s team in January 2026, succeeding Alyssa Healy, and led the side to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year.
Molineux previously played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the WPL, featuring in their 2024 title-winning campaign. She missed the 2026 season because of a hip injury but has returned to international cricket, including the recent T20I series against New Zealand. Her experience as a leader, combined with her ability to control the middle overs with the ball and contribute lower down the order, made her one of the most sought-after names in the auction pool.
Top 5 signings at the WPL 2027 auction
1. Sophie Molineux (UP Warriorz) – ₹1.10 crore: The Australia captain adds proven leadership and spin control to a side that already has Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma.
2. Kiran Navgire (Delhi Capitals) – ₹75 lakh: The India batter, who had a base price of ₹40 lakh, nearly doubled her value after a contest with Mumbai Indians. Navgire said after the sale that she already knew most of the Delhi squad and believed the side could win its first title.
3. G Kamalini (Gujarat Giants) – ₹40 lakh: The young Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batter was signed at her base price.
4. Jess Jonassen (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – ₹40 lakh: RCB, quiet in the first phase, picked up the Australia left-arm spinner at base price in the accelerated round.
5. Several players at ₹30 lakh: Grace Harris, Sneh Rana, Sushma Verma and Asha Sobhana joined UP Warriorz. Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast went to Gujarat Giants. RCB signed Tejal Hasabnis and South Africa’s Chloe Tryon at the same price.
How UP Warriorz won the Sophie Molineux race
Sophie Molineux entered the auction at a base price of ₹50 lakh, the joint highest alongside England’s Sophia Dunkley. UP Warriorz, who began the day with the largest remaining purse of around ₹3.75 crore and eight empty slots, opened the bidding. RCB quickly joined and the price climbed rapidly. After RCB bid ₹1.05 crore, UP Warriorz went to ₹1.10 crore and RCB withdrew.
UP Warriorz COO and Director of Cricket Kshemal Waingankar later explained the franchise’s approach. “At any cost is the right answer. I think that just puts us in a good position, whether that’s Sophie and Grace combined, to tweak our combinations and decide which combination works best. Grace brings power to the middle order. Sophie Molineux, obviously, leadership qualities, an exceptional bowler and obviously fantastic with the team in general. So our thought was her and Sophie Ecclestone together would be a lethal force. Again, like I said, with Grace, we have the option of switching and seeing how things work,” he said.
