Women's cricket fantasy is one of the fastest-growing corners of the game, and the Women's Premier League is its centrepiece. The WPL packs world-class all-rounders into five teams, and the fantasy scoring rewards exactly the skills those players have: batting in the top order, bowling a full quota, and fielding sharply. If you have only played men's fantasy cricket, the women's game has differences worth knowing, from the depth of all-rounders to the way overseas slots shape team selection. This guide explains how to pick a WPL fantasy team, with the fifth season scheduled for January and February 2027.

Why All-Rounders Rule the WPL

The WPL's standout feature is its concentration of genuine all-rounders. Players like Nat Sciver-Brunt, Ashleigh Gardner, Amelia Kerr and Deepti Sharma bat in the top order and bowl their full four overs, which gives them two or three paths to a big fantasy score in every match. A player who scores 40 runs and takes two wickets can outscore a pure batter who scores 70, because the wickets are worth 25 points each before bonuses. When you build a WPL team, start with the all-rounders and build around them. The best captain choices in the WPL are almost always all-rounders, because the captain multiplier applies to their batting and bowling points together.

Overseas slots matter too. Each WPL team can field only four overseas players, so a star overseas player is guaranteed a place when fit, while domestic players compete harder for spots. That certainty is valuable: a player who is sure to play is worth more than a slightly better player who might be rotated.

WPL Picks by Role

For batters, prioritise openers and number three players, just as in the men's game. Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt and Meg Lanning are classic examples of top-order players who face the most balls. For bowlers, look for new-ball specialists like Marizanne Kapp, whose powerplay economy is consistently elite, and death bowlers like Deepti Sharma, who bowls at the death and bats in the middle order. For wicketkeepers, prefer those who bat in the top order, because their keeping points are a bonus on top of batting points, not a replacement for them. For differentials in grand leagues, look at young Indian players who have just broken into the side: they cost fewer credits, they are often low-owned, and a strong performance can be a ranking-changer.

Check the auction and squad news before the season. The WPL mini-auction ahead of the 2027 season saw teams fill targeted gaps, with UP Warriorz holding the biggest purse and players like Grace Harris and Sophie Molineux changing teams. A player who changes teams can also change roles, so a batter who moves to a side that needs an opener may suddenly become far more valuable.

WPL Fantasy Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake is treating women's fantasy like a smaller version of the men's game and copying the same template. The WPL has fewer teams and a shorter season, so form and fixtures matter more, and a player who misses two matches hurts you more than in a long men's tournament. Another mistake is ignoring the domestic players: the WPL's Indian core, from Deepti Sharma to Shikha Pandey, often outscores the overseas stars because they play every match and fill multiple roles. Finally, do not pick players based on reputation from other formats. A Test specialist may not be a good T20 fantasy pick, and a player who is brilliant in internationals may have a limited role in their WPL side. Pick on role, form and fixture, and the points will follow.