Kolkata, Oct. 27 -- As the countdown to the WPL's fifth season begins, a total of 146 players are set to go under the hammer as the five franchises look to finalise their squads at the auction on Wednesday in Kochi.

With only 27 vacant spots to fill, the auction is expected to be focused and quick with teams knowing the exact players they want to go after. The combined budget for this mini-auction is Rs.8.15 crore. The teams have already retained 63 players, leaving room for 20 Indian and seven overseas players.

UP Warriorz walk into the auction with the biggest purse of Rs.3.75 crore but they also have eight places to fill. The presence of Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Deepti Sharma and Sophie Ecclestone gives them a settled core, bu...