On Monday, November 17, the dates and venues of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026, which have been finalized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), were revealed by Cricbuzz.
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has been postponed, and is to be held in the January-February window as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be held in the February-March window next year.
Mumbai and Baroda are all set to host WPL 2026 matches
Women’s Premier League 2026 is the fourth edition of the women’s league organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The first three editions of the competition were won by Mumbai Indians Women (twice) and Royal Challengers Bangalore Women (once).
This time, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to host the Women’s Premier League (WPL) matches in Mumbai and Baroda in two phases, with Lucknow and Bengaluru being the other two cities that were in contention.
The DY Patil Stadium, which recently hosted India’s historic Women’s World Cup win, is likely to host the opening match of WPL 2026 as well as the first half of the season.
The teams will head to the Kotambi Stadium in Baroda for the second leg of the Women’s Premier League, where the matches are likely to start around January 16.
“The BCCI is yet to formally inform the franchise owners, but the venues are being discussed at an informal level. The five teams are expected to be officially informed about the venues during the WPL auction in New Delhi on November 27,” the report said.
Women’s Premier League 2026 starts from January 7
The Women’s Premier League 2026 is likely to begin on January 7, and the final is likely to take place on February 3 – although there is no formal confirmation regarding a possible window.
This new window has been decided for this marquee league due to India hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Additionally, all countries agreed to a January–February window for the Women’s Premier League to ensure there is no overlap with other leagues and international cricket.
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Women’s Premier League has accelerated this entire process – Sneh Rana
Recently, India Women’s World Cup winner Sneh Rana credited the Women’s Premier League for accelerating the development of young cricketers in India.
“Development starts from domestic cricket, especially now when the matches are televised. Young girls watch and feel inspired to represent their state. The WPL has accelerated this whole process. Look at Mr Charani, she is new to international cricket but plays with great calmness. That confidence comes from sharing the dressing room with big international players.”
Earlier we used to wait a lot for international tours because there were very few matches there. Now, we get regular opportunities to play abroad and it has made a huge difference. Playing on different pitches and in different conditions teaches you to adjust quickly. “That performance has really helped our development,” World Cup winner Sneh Rana said while speaking on JioStar’s Celebrating Champions.
