New Delhi, Nov 4: The mega player auction for the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be held on November 27 in the national capital, sources aware of the development told Media on Tuesday.

Had previously reported on October 22 that New Delhi edged Goa to emerge as the top choice to be the host city of the mega auction set to be held for the first time in WPL’s history. “There was a toss-up between November 26, 27, and 28. But it has now been communicated to all five franchises by the BCCI that the auction will be on November 27,” further said sources.

In terms of the venue for the auction to be held for one day, Media understands that a plush hotel in Aerocity could be the venue for the WPL mega auction, especially after it emerged that the initial choice, Bharat Mandapam, will be busy hosting the India International Trade Fair (IITF) from November 14-27.

The player retention deadline for all five WPL teams – two-time winners Mumbai Indians, 2024 winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru, three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants – is on Wednesday.

Each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of three capped Indian players, two overseas players, and two uncapped Indian players. If a team chooses to retain five players, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player. The auction purse has been set at INR 15 crore.

Retention slabs have been defined as follows: INR 3.5 crore for Player 1, INR 2.5 crore for Player 2, INR 1.75 crore for Player 3, INR 1 crore for Player 4, and INR 50 lakh for Player 5. The Right to Match (RTM) option will enable franchises to buy back players who were part of their 2025 WPL squads, with a cap of five RTMs per team.

Depending on the number of retained players, the corresponding deductions from the purse will be: INR 9.25 crore for five players, INR 8.75 crore for four, INR 7.75 crore for three, INR 6 crore for two, and INR 3.5 crore for one.

The number of RTMs available will vary accordingly – franchises retaining fewer players will have more RTMs at their disposal. Teams using all five retentions will forfeit the RTM option entirely. The final date for WPL mega auction player registration is November 18, while the final list of players in the auction will be released on November 20.

Understands that India’s win in the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup could have a late impact on WPL teams’ player retention strategies.

“A few franchises may have a relook at their retained players list to accommodate the ones who did well for India in winning the trophy. The same goes for a few overseas players who did well in the World Cup,” further said sources.

Malappuram (Kerala), Nov 3: The Kerala government has once again stirred public excitement and controversy with Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman asserting that Argentine football legend Lionel Messi will play in India next year.

According to the minister, the state has received a new email from the Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirming that the G.O.A.T player Messi and his team will visit India in March.

“Two days ago, we received an email from the AFA team confirming their visit to Kerala in March,” Abdurahiman said.

He added that the match was initially planned for November but had to be deferred due to infrastructural issues at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.

However, this fresh claim has drawn widespread skepticism, with critics recalling the earlier unfulfilled promise of Messi’s visit.

The absence of any official agreement or confirmation from the AFA has led to questions about the government’s credibility and the procedures followed in organising what is billed as a major international sporting event.

The Opposition and sports enthusiasts have also raised concerns over why the Kochi stadium was partially dismantled for “renovation” despite the lack of a signed deal.

With no documented terms, the government is now under pressure to clarify who the sponsors are, what the contractual commitments were, and whether due diligence was observed.

Adding to the controversy, it has emerged that the sponsors involved in the initiative have alleged links to the notorious Muttil tree felling case despite the government’s previous assurances that it would not engage with tainted entities.

As anticipation mixes with disbelief, many are demanding transparency and official documentation to substantiate the minister’s claim.

For now, Messi’s supposed Kerala appearance remains more of a political talking point than a confirmed sporting event, a story that continues to keep football fans across the country guessing and critics on edge.

If the world cup winning team led by Messi lands on Kerala’s soil, the timing of the visit will add a feather to the cap of the now beleaguered Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is caught in a few scams which the Congress-led UDF is playing up. More importantly by then Kerala will be at the peak of election campaigning fever for the Assembly polls.

New Delhi, Nov 3: Former England spinner Monty Panesar praised the Indian women’s cricket team’s first-ever World Cup win, calling it the biggest since 2011, when the men’s team won the World Cup in India after a 28-year wait.

India defeated South Africa by 52 runs to secure their first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to see the women win the World Cup final — probably the biggest victory in the history of Indian women’s cricket. It’s a huge moment, the biggest since 2011, when the men’s team won the World Cup in India. Congratulations to the women’s team!” Panesar told Media.

“This is a truly monumental moment for Indian women’s cricket. They can now believe they can achieve anything — that they can become number one. And they’ve certainly done just that. Congratulations once again to the Indian women’s team,” he added.

Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma starred with both bat and ball to help India achieve a hard-fought victory after South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl.

Chasing 299, South Africa seemed well placed at one point to reach the target, but Deepti’s breakthrough caused a dramatic collapse. After she dismissed Annerie Dercksen, the Proteas crumbled from 209/5 to 246 all out.

Captain Laura Wolvaardt (101) led from the front with a splendid century, but wickets fell regularly at the other end. Deepti was the outstanding performer with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 5/39, while Shafali Verma and Sree Charani contributed key wickets to secure a historic win for India.

The victory was special for captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was one of five players at the tournament to be appearing at their fifth World Cup. The India skipper made her international debut at the 2009 edition of the event in Australia in a 10-wicket victory over Pakistan.