RCB begin WPL auction preparations months ahead, says coach

Kochi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will look to plug gaps in their squad at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction as they aim to become the first team to retain the title and win the tournament three times, head coach Malolan Rangarajan said. RCB will enter the auction with Rs 1.15 crore […]

Kochi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will look to plug gaps in their squad at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction as they aim to become the first team to retain the title and win the tournament three times, head coach Malolan Rangarajan said.

RCB will enter the auction with Rs 1.15 crore in their purse and five slots to fill.

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“You look at what you did well in the league last year, you try to understand how the league has evolved over the last year and you find gaps within your team and you are constantly looking to improve.

“But the work started a while back and it’s not now, the work continues. The WPL is coming in January and all we are looking to do now is how we can improve our squad and give us the best chance to go and be the first team to win three championships and the first to be back-to-back (winners),” Rangarajan said in a video posted on the WPL’s social media accounts on Wednesday.

The coach added that preparations for the auction, scheduled to begin at 5.30 pm in Kochi, had started months earlier, with the franchise’s scouts and coaches beginning work immediately after RCB won the WPL 2026 final in Vadodara.

“RCB has two franchises, both in the IPL and WPL, so there is a lot of work that goes on. But we had our scouts and coaches — all of them started working with our players right after the WPL finals. So the work actually started right after the finals,” he said.

RCB’s campaign will receive a boost from the return of Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who opted out of the previous season for personal reasons.

“Perry is a very integral part of our team, she has contributed to RCB regardless of us winning or not. It will be a huge boost for her return to our team.

“Obviously, she strengthens; everybody knows what she does on the field, be it batting, bowling and fielding, so I don’t have to go into detail about what an impact she can have for the squad,” Rangarajan said.

He also congratulated RCB captain Smriti Mandhana on becoming India’s full-time captain.

“First of all, very well deserved for Smriti. I think she has been a very, very valuable servant to Indian cricket, and she really deserves it. It’s a proud moment for RCB, absolutely, that we have one of our own leading the country.

“But those are two separate things, leading the country is primary. As RCB, we want to produce as many players who go on to play for the country and we are very proud that one of us is actually a captain of the nation,” Rangarajan said.