India veteran Shikha Pandey was snapped up by UP Warriorz for Rs. 2.40 crore, six times her base price of Rs. 40 lakh, at the WPL 2026 Auction in New Delhi on Thursday after an intense bidding battle with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Warriorz and RCB locked horns early as the price raced to Rs. 75 lakh in no time, while Pandey’s former franchise Delhi Capitals stayed on the sidelines initially. The bid soon touched Rs. 1 crore with RCB going all out, before the two teams pushed it swiftly to Rs. 1.7 crore.

Despite not featuring in international cricket for the last three years, Pandey’s reputation as a proven domestic performer with a formidable work ethic kept her value soaring. RCB stretched the bid to Rs. 2 crore, but the contest was far from over. The price climbed again to Rs. 2.2 crore before Warriorz paused, recalibrated and struck back at Rs. 2.4 crore to eventually seal the deal.

Published on Nov 27, 2025