New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Jonathan Batty acknowledged the emotional challenge of releasing players while expressing confidence in the retained core of Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Annabel Sutherland and Niki Prasad for WPL 2026.

Jemimah and Shafali were instrumental in India winning 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, by delivering match-winning performances in the semifinal and final. Niki was promising in her maiden WPL season this year after captaining India to 2025 Women’s U19 T20 World Cup win, while Marizanne and Annabel had great all-round performances in the recent 50-over global event.

“We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the first three seasons. This was a tight-knit group that performed as a cohesive unit, and that togetherness reflected in our results. It’s always difficult to release players after sharing such a successful journey, but that’s the nature of the WPL and the challenge that comes with it.”

“We’re very happy with the players we’ve retained, and our focus now will be on building the rest of the squad around this strong core. It’s going to be an exciting auction, and we’re looking forward to what lies ahead,” said Batty in a statement shortly after the retentions were announced.

DC are the only franchise to reach the final in all three editions of the WPL, and will enter the 2026 WPL mega auction, to be held in New Delhi on November 27, with 13 available slots. “Letting go of players from such a consistent, high-performing squad is never easy, but that’s the challenge that comes with a mega auction. Every player has played a pivotal role in our journey so far.”

“Although we narrowly missed lifting the trophy, we’re immensely proud of what this group has achieved in the first three seasons. We’re very satisfied with our retentions. Jemi, Shafali, Marizanne, Annabel and Niki form a strong core for us to build around.”

“My best wishes to all the players, both retained and released, for the next phase of their careers. We’re eagerly looking forward to the first-ever WPL mega auction. It promises to be exciting, and we hope this is the year we go one step further,” said DC co-owner Parth Jindal.

Among the released players are Meg Lanning, Alice Capsey, Jess Jonassen, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy and Shikha Pandey. “The WPL has been an incredible journey of growth, both for the sport and for women’s cricket in India. We’re extremely proud of how this team has performed over the first three seasons – consistently reaching the finals and setting benchmarks of professionalism and team spirit.”

“As we enter a new cycle, our focus remains on nurturing the immense talent we already have in our ranks and building around it. The upcoming mega auction marks an exciting new chapter, and we’re confident the Delhi Capitals family will continue to inspire fans and strive to bring home the trophy this year,” said DC co-owner Kiran Kumar Grandhi.

DC Retained Players List: Jemimah Rodrigues (INR 2.2 crore), Shafali Verma (INR 2.2 crore), Marizanne Kapp (INR 2.2 crore), Annabel Sutherland (INR 2.2 crore), and Niki Prasad (INR 50 lakh)

DC Released Players List: Meg Lanning, Sneha Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Minnu Mani, N Sree Charani, Shikha Pandey, Nandini Kashyap, Sarah Bryce, Taniyaa Bhatia, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu

–IANS

nr/