New Delhi: The second half of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is likely to be moved from the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium to the Wankhede Stadium due to the ruling of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on venue exclusivity for its events.
“Yes, there is a discussion going on about making this happen. It is because the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy is happening, and as per ICC protocols, there should be a gap of 15 days for a venue to host the major tournament. So that window will fall in between the WPL second half.
“If the WPL second half happens in Mumbai’s CCI, including the final, you won’t get that 15-day gap. So that is what the WPL committee is discussing at the moment. As of now, they are into solving it, and once discussions are over, an official word is expected to arrive soon,” said a source tracking the development to IANS on Saturday.
As per the existing schedule, the fifth edition of the WPL opens on January 14, 2027, in Vadodara, where defending champions and two-time winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Mumbai Indians. Vadodara will host the first 11 of the 22 games till January 24, before the action moves to Mumbai from January 26.
The league stage of WPL 2027 ends on February 3. The Eliminator, to be played between the second- and third-placed teams, is slated to happen on February 5, while the table-topper goes straight into the final, to be played on February 7.
The inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, a six-team event, runs from February 14 to 28 and will be staged at the CCI in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium – the venues which are currently earmarked for WPL 2027. As per the rules, the ICC takes over the venues roughly three weeks before a global event begins, and keeps the venues under its exclusive control throughout that entire stretch of time.
Brabourne Stadium staged the eliminator and final of the 2025 WPL, where Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by eight runs to win the title for the second time. If the shift in venue happens, it will be the very first time that Wankhede Stadium will host WPL matches.
Apart from host India, Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka will feature in the Champions Trophy. All six teams will be competing in a single round-robin league. The top two teams in the standings will progress to the final to be played on February 28.
–IANS–
