How the Aussie women fared in WPL 2026

Some new Australian names were in action while a couple of big ones were missing at the Women's Premier League (WPL) this year. Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland were among the retained players ahead of the mega auction but both allrounders withdrew from the competition due to personal reasons. Alana King and Charli Knott were late selections as replacement players.

In total, 14 Australians travelled to India to be part of WPL 2026. Let's take a glimpse at how they fared, with an eye on the upcoming home multi-format series against India.

 Nicola Carey (Mumbai Indians)

M: 6 | Runs: 149 | Ave: 37.25 | SR: 142 | HS: 40 | Wkts: 7 | Ave: 25.42 | Econ: 8.90

Picked in the competition for the first time on the back of consistent performances in the WBBL, WNCL and the Hundred, Carey wasted no time in repaying the faith of Mumbai Indians coach Lisa Keightley. Although that opportunity to break into the XI came due to an illness to Hayley Matthews, Carey's contributions earned her six outings for a Mumbai Indians unit with a strong and stable overseas quartet. The news of a callback to the Australian side for the India series midway through the tournament was the icing on top for the 32-year-old.

Ashleigh Gardner (Gujarat Giants)

M: 9 | Runs: 244 | Ave: 27 | SR: 142 | HS: 65 | Wkts: 6 | Ave: 42 | Econ: 10.04

Retained by the Gujarat Giants after leading them to their first playoffs last year, Gardner's second season at the helm was also successful as the side finished in the top three once again. With the bat, it was a profitable season for Gardner, with some key contributions coming at a healthy strike rate. It was a different story with the ball, however, as she proved expensive and was often found not backing herself to bowl key overs despite her reputation as a game changer with the ball.

Lucy Hamilton (Delhi Capitals)

M: 2 | Runs: 36 | Ave: 36| SR: 189.47 | HS: 40 | Wkts: 0 | Ave: 73| Econ: 9.95

The 19-year-old who has earned a call-up to the Test squad for the day-night match against India, was a head-turning pick at the WPL auction. While she got only two games in her maiden season and was expensive with the ball, she stunned with a 19-ball 36 in her first game, in which she hit three sixes and as many fours against eventual champions RCB. Hamilton also won the catch of the season for her diving take at point to dismiss opposition captain Smriti Mandhana in the same game.

Grace Harris (RCB)

M: 9 | Runs: 237 | Ave: 26.33| SR: 178.19 | HS: 85 | Wkts: 2 | Ave: 11| Econ: 7.33

Opening the batting for the championship-winning side, Harris finished as the player with the best batting strike rate in the competition. The Queenslander particularly enjoyed taking on her former side, the UP Warriorz, with both her half-centuries – 85 off 40 and 75 off 37 – coming against them. She was thrown the ball in only one game and had handy figures of 2-22 from her three overs.

 Meg Lanning (UP Warriorz)

M: 8 | Runs: 248 | Ave: 31 | SR: 125.25 | 50s: 2 | HS: 70

After the Delhi Capitals let go of their skipper of first three years, the UP Warriorz snapped up and handed their reins to the former Australian captain. Lanning made consistent contributions to her side up top, scoring at a decent strike rate. But after leading her to former side to finals in the first three season, she had to experience contrasting fortunes in new colours as the Warriorz finished last.

Lizelle Lee (Delhi Capitals)

M: 10 | Runs: 320 | Ave: 32 | SR: 139 | 50s: 2 | HS: 86

Lee's consistently ruthless run in domestic and franchise cricket made her irresistible at the WPL 2026 auction as the Tasmanian resident finally found a home in the Capitals. She lived up to the reputation, forming an explosive partnership at the top with Shafali Verma, which was key to the Capital's run to their fourth-consecutive final and could not evade the predictable monicker 'ShafaLee'. Lee also helped the franchise resolve its wicketkeeping conundrum from the past seasons, where they struggled to find options that didn't deplete their batting strength.

 Phoebe Litchfield (UP Warriorz)

M: 6 | Runs: 243 | Ave: 40.50 | SR: 154.77 | 50s: 2 | HS: 78

The stellar numbers reveal how good a tournament Litchfield was having when an injury cut short her stay in India. The left-hander started strong with a 78 off 40 against her former side, Gujarat Giants. She was involved in a number of productive partnerships with Lanning through the course of her time. Before she returned home, Litchfield was among the top run-scorers in the competition. The 22-year-old has since confirmed she is on track to be fit for the opening T20 against India and the Aussie camp will be hoping she can pick up where she left off in the WPL on home shores.

 Beth Mooney (Gujarat Giants)

M: 9 | Runs: 258 | Ave: 32.25 | SR: 122.27 | 50s: 2 | HS: 62no

After failing to convert her starts in the initial phase of the competition, Mooney found her groove towards the end. Her highest score of 62no of 51 came in the Eliminator against the Delhi Capitals as she carried her bat in a typical Beth Mooney knock under dire circumstances with wickets tumbling on the other end.

Georgia Voll (RCB)

M: 6 | Runs: 170 | Ave: 34 | SR: 127 | 50s: 2 | HS: 79

After being ignored for selection in the playing XI for their first three games, RCB finally slotted Voll in at no.3 in a game against the Capitals and she delivered with an unbeaten 54 to close out the win. It will be the same side they would face in the final and Voll would smash her season high score of 79, combining with captain Smriti Mandhana in a 165-run partnership to help them register the highest successful run chase in WPL history and bag the title.

Georgia Wareham (Gujarat Giants)

M: 8 | Runs: 178 | Ave: 35.60 | SR: 144.71 | HS: 44no | Wkts: 7 | Ave: 28.14 | Econ: 9.09

Coming on the back off a league MVP performance in WBBL|11, Wareham was a key all-round contributor the Giants in their run to the playoffs. She played a number of quick-fire cameos in the middle order and gave a good display of her ability to clear the rope. Much like her captain Gardner, Wareham proved to be on the expensive side with the ball on the batting-friendly tracks and will be keen to return to more favourable conditions of the Australian venues, having been earmarked as the lead leg-spinner in the T20 side.

Charli Knott (UP Warriorz)

M: 1 | Runs: 12 | Ave: 12 | SR: 100 | 50s: 0 | HS: 12

A late addition to the Warriorz roster as a replacement for USA international Tara Norris, Knott had to wait for her opportunity until the side's final game of the season. Coming into Litchfield's spot at one drop, she had to be content with a run-a-ball 12. The allrounder didn't get the chance to bowl. She will captain the Governor-General's XI against India ahead of the multi-format series.

Kim Garth (Gujarat Giants)

Did not play

Milly Illingworth (Mumbai Indians)

Did not play

Alana King (Delhi Capitals)

Did not play

Smriti Mandhana, the most highly rated name in the Indian side among the Aussies, is in red hot form. With 377 runs from nine games, the left-hander was the leading run-scorer in the tournament.

She came close to becoming the first centurion of the tournament, but Hamilton's catch of the tournament ended her stay on 96. Later, she would blast an 87 off 41 in the final to lead her RCB side to its second WPL title.

The skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, wasn't too far behind her deputy, with her 342 runs in eight games extending her remarkable record in the competition. A firing Harmanpreet can cause problems for Australia, as they experienced in the World Cup semi-final in October, and the side will be looking to curtail her rich vein of form early in the series.

T20s in India are a tough assignment for the bowlers these days. Among those in India's touring party for the series, left-arm spinner Shree Charani had the most prolific tournament, with 14 wickets in 10 games. The Delhi Capitals bowler also maintained a decent economy of 8.40.

Among Indians, Shree Charani was only behind her rookie teammate Nadani Sharma (17 from 10 games) on the wickets tally.

NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series

Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil

February 15: First T20, SCG, 7:15pm AEDT

February 19: Second T20, Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7:15pm AEDT

February 21: Third T20, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm AEDT

Australia ODI squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry, Harleen Deol

February 24: First ODI, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT

February 27: Second ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT

March 1: Third ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare

March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)