England’s rising tempo sensation Lauren Bell grew to become Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) priciest acquisition on the WPL 2026 mega auction, securing a ₹90 lakh deal that underscores her rising stature in world T20 cricket. The 25-year-old right-arm quick bowler, recognized for her swing and bounce, outbid rivals like Mumbai Indians (MI) in a aggressive spherical, marking RCB’s high spend amid a strategic rebuild publish their 2024 title win. Bell’s speedy post-auction response buzzed with enthusiasm, amplifying fan pleasure for RCB’s bolstered assault forward of the WPL 2026 season.
Lauren Bell’s thrilling post-auction response
Moments after her hammer fell, Bell shared her pleasure by way of social media, stating: “Hey everybody, I’m tremendous tremendous excited to be becoming a member of RCB. What a tremendous franchise to be part of. I can’t wait to convey some enjoyable and pleasure… and play some superb cricket. So yeah, I can’t wait to satisfy you quickly.” Her phrases captured the electrical ambiance, resonating with RCB’s passionate fanbase and highlighting her eagerness to contribute to the franchise’s trophy hunt.
Profile of RCB’s greatest purchase in WPL 2026 Public sale
Born in Swindon on January 1, 2001, Bell debuted for England in June 2022 after impressing in home circuits for Hampshire and Southern Courageous. With 60 T20I wickets at a median of 18.34, she boasts a deadly mixture of tempo, swing each methods, and middle-over management.
Highlights embrace a five-wicket haul in a 2024 WODI towards New Zealand and powerful showings in The Hundred, the place she aided Southern Courageous’s 2021 triumph. Beforehand with UP Warriorz, Bell reunites with Smriti Mandhana, her ex-Southern Courageous teammate, promising synergy in RCB’s lineup.
Lauren Bell: An strategic slot in RCB’s tempo arsenal
RCB focused Bell to fortify their seam assault, pairing her with retained stars like Ellyse Perry and new buys resembling Nadine de Klerk (₹65 lakh) and Pooja Vastrakar (₹85 lakh). Coach and administration seen her as the perfect new-ball enforcer, able to exploiting Indian circumstances with disciplined strains. This ₹90 lakh funding – above base ₹30 lakh – edges out different acquisitions like Arundhati Reddy (₹75 lakh), signaling confidence in her potential to guide breakthroughs in powerplays and dying overs.
Additionally READ: Explained – Why Alyssa Healy went unsold in the WPL 2026 mega auction?
Affect on RCB’s WPL 2026 ambitions
Following a difficult 2025, RCB retained Mandhana, Perry, Richa Ghosh and Shreyanka Patil, then neatly added spinners Radha Yadav and Linsey Smith alongside Bell. Her arrival elevates a balanced squad mixing worldwide firepower with home depth, positioning RCB as title contenders. Bell’s Hundred pedigree and England kind place her to thrive below Mandhana’s captaincy, fueling hopes of sustained success within the league’s third version.
Bell’s acquisition and upbeat response ignite optimism, mixing confirmed talent with infectious vitality for RCB’s WPL journey.
Additionally READ: Top 10 most expensive buys in WPL 2026 Player Auction
This text was first printed at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times firm.
