CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Bhopal. The process of forming teams for India’s first professional women’s volleyball league has gained momentum. Six franchises selected players in the first-season player auction of the Women’s Pro Volleyball League (WPVL). According to a report published on October 26, 2026, bids worth a total of ₹78.85 lakh were placed on 66 players in the auction, while the league has fixed an overall player budget of ₹1.5 crore.
According to the report, a player budget of ₹25 lakh has been fixed for each franchise. This includes ₹15 lakh for the auction, ₹7 lakh for foreign players and ₹3 lakh for an icon player. Each team will have 14 players, and a total roster of 84 players will be prepared for the six teams.
Five players received the highest bid of ₹2.5 lakh in the auction. They include Kavita, Anna Mathew, Ezhilmathi D.P., Shilpa R.S. and Prerna Pal. Bengaluru Thunders spent ₹13.9 lakh in the auction, a major share of its ₹15 lakh auction purse.
The league aims to provide women volleyball players with professional competition, recognition and opportunities to move ahead in the sport. Organisers expect the franchise-based structure to encourage investment, audience participation and talent development in women’s volleyball.
The league’s initial announcement had said the first season would be held at Ekana Indoor Stadium in Lucknow in November 2026. The latest auction report mentions the match dates as November 11 to 21. The official schedule will need to be confirmed before the event.
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