Kolkata, Oct. 28 -- 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, but they will be hunting for players in specialised roles. The release of Navgire, Chloe Tryon and Deandra Dottin has left gaps in their big-hitting options. The departure of Amy Jones will probably also add a wicketkeeper to their wishlist. Delhi Capitals will be eager to break their run of runner-up finishes with a few vital picks in the auction. They have a budget of Rs.1.10 crore and five vacancies. Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp retain much of the strength that carried them to four successive finals. However, the release of Taniyaa Bhatia and Lizelle Lee has left them with only Mamatha Madiwala as their wicketkeeping option. Their primary focus will probably be on an Indian keeper rather than a marquee overseas star. Mumbai Indians are looking to return to trophy-winning ways as they enter the auction with a budget of Rs.90 lakh and six spots to fill. They acquired USA pacer Tara Norris during the trade window to fill their overseas quota, so the focus will be on Indian players. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru walk in with a budget of Rs.1.15 crore for five places. Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and the returning Ellyse Perry provide them with the stability to mount a title defence....