WPL: Delhi Capitals Release Captain Meg Lanning, Retain India’s World Cup Stars
Delhi Capitals have released captain Meg Lanning ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auction while retaining key players Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, who were part of India's recent World Cup-winning squad. The team also retained Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, and Niki Prasad, aiming to build a strong core for the upcoming season.
Delhi Capitals announced their player retention and release decisions for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 ahead of the mega auction scheduled for late November 2025. The prominent move was releasing their captain and experienced Australian batter Meg Lanning, despite her leadership in reaching three consecutive finals without securing a trophy. Along with Lanning, 12 other players including Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, and Jess Jonassen were released.The franchise retained five players to form the core of their squad: Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma, both instrumental in India’s recent World Cup victory, plus Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland, and Niki Prasad. Management expressed a commitment to continuity and competitiveness, with Co-owner Parth Jindal acknowledging the difficulty of releasing players but emphasizing the need to rebuild for future success. Head Coach Jonathan Batty highlighted the cohesive performance of the retained group and looked forward to strengthening the squad through the auction. Delhi Capitals remain the only franchise to have reached the final in all three editions of the WPL so far.The team’s strategy reflects confidence in their retained stars’ match-winning abilities, particularly the Indian talents Jemimah and Shafali, alongside international players Kapp and Sutherland. The next phase involves filling 13 available squad slots at the upcoming auction, aiming to capture the WPL title after narrowly missing out in previous seasons.
