New Delhi: The 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is likely to begin in early January, with a final decision on venues set to come soon, sources close to the development said to IANS on Monday. Lucknow, Bengaluru, Vadodara, and Mumbai hosted WPL 2025, which was won by Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians (MI) for the second time at the Brabourne Stadium earlier this year.
For WPL 2026, IANS understands that the start date of the competition could be January 7, with January 6 and 8 also in discussion. The final could be held in the February 1-3 window, and will be firmed up once the dates of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup are out.
It is understood that the WPL 2026 final date will be fixed five days before the men’s global event in the shortest format begins in India and Sri Lanka. This will be the first time WPL will be held in the January window, as per the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), after being previously held in February and March.
In terms of the venues, IANS understands that two options were in discussion when the BCCI officials had an informal meeting before the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final, which India won by 52 runs at the DY Patil Stadium to win their first-ever title in senior women’s cricket.
“One option is to host the tournament at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, which is now a venue forever etched in the women’s Indian team’s memory, and the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Another option is to host the first half of the competition in Navi Mumbai and take the second leg to the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara,” said a WPL insider to IANS.
The rationale behind keeping the second half of WPL 2026 in Vadodara is also due to the stadium set to host the men’s ODI series opener between India and New Zealand on January 11. It is also understood that an official word on dates and venues could come during the WPL 2026 mega auction, to be held in New Delhi on November 27.
“Chances are very good for Vadodara to be the additional venue for WPL 2026. Everyone is just waiting for the confirmation and the schedule. So we are just keeping our fingers crossed and waiting for the official confirmation. Many people are calling, including the WPL team owners,” said a senior Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) official to IANS.
(IANS)
