Harmanpreet Kaur surprised fans by making a massive Rs 1 crore sacrifice despite receiving a nearly 40 percent pay rise in the latest central contracts. Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana continued her dominance by breaking her own record yet again.
Just days after leading India to victory in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, becoming the first female captain to achieve this feat, Harmanpreet Kaur made a significant sacrifice for the Mumbai Indians (MI) as the Women’s Premier League (WPL) retentions were revealed. Despite her status as the Indian captain and a World Cup-winning leader, Harmanpreet chose not to be MI’s top retention, settling for the second-highest salary in the upcoming cycle. England’s captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will take the title of the two-time champions’ highest-paid player.
Nat is set to receive Rs. 3.5 crore from MI, while Harmanpreet will earn Rs. 2.5 crore. This marks a nearly 40% increase (38.8%) for Harmanpreet, who previously earned Rs. 1.8 crore over the last three seasons following the inaugural auction in 2023.
Nat has been a crucial part of the success of the Harmanpreet-led team, which has clinched the title in two out of three seasons. The England cricket sensation is the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 1072 runs and ranks fifth in wicket-takers with 32 wickets.
In other news, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana also received a pay increase of Rs. 10 Lakhs. She will now earn Rs. 3.5 crore, up from Rs. 3.4 crore over the last three seasons. This adjustment allows her to maintain her position as the league’s highest-paid player, breaking her own record. However, she is no longer the sole holder of this title, as Nat and Gujarat Giants’ Ash Gardner will also earn the same amount.
All eyes are now on the mega auction set for November 27 in Delhi, where the UP Warriors will have the largest budget, having retained only one player.
Additionally, the salary cap for each franchise has risen to Rs. 15 crore this year, up from Rs. 12 crore in the inaugural season.
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