Delhi Capitals signed uncapped Indian all-rounder Uma Kashvi for Rs 10 lakh at the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction in Kochi on Wednesday, making the 15-year-old the youngest player ever signed in WPL history. Kashvi was one of four acquisitions by the franchise, which spent Rs 1.05 crore at the auction to build on a core of 13 retained players. The signings took Delhi Capitals to a 17-member squad, with total expenditure of Rs 14.95 crore, including Rs 13.9 crore on retentions.
Kashvi, a right-arm spin-bowling all-rounder from Karnataka, has represented India Under-19 in a series against Sri Lanka Under-19. Delhi Capitals head coach Jonathan Batty said the franchise had monitored Kashvi’s progress closely and viewed the signing as a long-term investment. “She’s been on our radar for a little while. Our scouts have watched her play extensively and shared some incredible feedback, and I’ve seen her play as well. We believe she could become an absolute superstar in the future,” Batty said.
Kashvi becomes youngest player sold in WPL history
The Kashvi signing was the main talking point of Delhi Capitals’ auction evening, even though Kashvi was not their most expensive buy. That honour went to big-hitting India batter Kiran Navgire, signed for Rs 75 lakh after a bidding contest with Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians pushed Navgire to Rs 70 lakh before Delhi Capitals went to Rs 75 lakh, and with only Rs 90 lakh in their purse, Mumbai Indians pulled out.
Batty described Navgire as probably the most dynamic and powerful batter in the auction. “Kiran was a high-value target for us. She’s probably the most dynamic and powerful batter in the auction. With Shafali at the top of the order and power further down the lineup with players like Chinelle Henry, Kiran gives us another dimension to consider in our batting order,” Batty said. Navgire, a former UP Warriorz player, gives Delhi Capitals another attacking option alongside Shafali Verma.
Delhi Capitals also signed Indian all-rounder Nazma Khan and Scotland left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon for Rs 10 lakh each. Because Scotland are an Associate nation, Delhi Capitals can field Gordon as a fifth overseas player if they choose to do so. The same provision applies to UP Warriorz, who signed Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce. Batty said the new additions had strengthened both the starting eleven and the bench.
Kashvi joins a settled Delhi Capitals squad
Kashvi joins a squad that Batty described as already strong before the auction. Batty said the starting lineup was already very strong before the auction. Delhi Capitals finished as runners-up in the previous edition and are yet to lift the trophy.
The retained core is built around four players at Rs 2.20 crore each: Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp and Annabel Sutherland. Chinelle Henry and N Sree Charani were retained for Rs 1.30 crore each, and Laura Wolvaardt for Rs 1.10 crore. The other retained players are Niki Prasad at Rs 50 lakh, Minnu Mani at Rs 40 lakh, Nandani Sharma at Rs 20 lakh, and Deeya Yadav, Mamatha Madiwala and Lucy Hamilton at Rs 10 lakh each. Kashvi, at Rs 10 lakh, sits at the same price point as the lowest-paid retained players.
Batty said the auction had gone as well as the franchise could have hoped. “We are really happy with how things went. There were lots of different dynamics at play, but I think it went as well as we could have hoped,” he said. He added that difficult selection decisions were a good problem for a coach. The four auction signings, including Kashvi, give him options in batting depth, spin and overseas slots without disturbing the retained core.
Other four squads are finalised too
All five squads are now finalised for the 2027 season. UP Warriorz were the busiest franchise with eight signings, headed by Sophie Molineux for Rs 1.10 crore. Mumbai Indians signed six uncapped Indian players on a Rs 90 lakh budget, led by Shweta Sehrawat at Rs 20 lakh. Royal Challengers Bengaluru signed four players in the accelerated rounds, including Jess Jonassen for Rs 40 lakh.
Gujarat Giants signed G Kamalini for Rs 40 lakh, Orla Prendergast for Rs 30 lakh and Samaira Raghav for Rs 10 lakh. Prendergast will become the first player from Ireland to feature in the WPL, while Raghav, at 16, is another teenage signing. In all, 25 players were sold in the mini auction, which needed less than an hour of active bidding. For Delhi Capitals, the headline is a settled squad plus one new name: a 15-year-old from Karnataka, signed for Rs 10 lakh, who is now the youngest player in WPL history.