WPL 2026 to Be Held in Two Cities, Official Dates Released

The Women’s Premier League will return on January 7, 2026, with its fourth edition set to run till February 3. The tournament comes at a perfect moment for Indian fans who are still celebrating India Women’s historic ODI World Cup win. With excitement already high, the league is expected to draw strong crowds from the opening game.

The WPL will start in Mumbai at the DY Patil Stadium. The venue has a special place in Indian women’s cricket as it hosted key matches during the recent World Cup run. Teams will then shift to Baroda in mid January, where the Kotambi Stadium will host the second half of the league along with the final.

The season has been moved to early January to avoid a clash with the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled in February and March in India and Sri Lanka. The organisers also needed to accommodate an ODI between India and New Zealand that will be played in Baroda on January 11. The new dates help keep the cricket calendar smooth and avoid any overlap.

Mumbai Indians Women will enter the season as defending champions. They have won two of the three editions so far and will be aiming for a third title. Their consistent success has made them the team to beat once again.

Lucknow and Bengaluru were also considered as possible hosts, but Mumbai and Baroda were finalised after venue reviews. Both cities are expected to offer strong local support and good logistics for teams.

The player auction will take place on November 27, 2025, in New Delhi. It will be a one day event. Franchises have already announced their retentions and will now focus on filling key gaps in their squads. Several teams are expected to target fresh talent after the World Cup performances put many new players in the spotlight.

Fans can look forward to a smooth, two city league with a mix of experienced stars and rising names. With India’s World Cup win still fresh in memory, the WPL 2026 is set to open with more attention and energy than ever before.