WPL 2026 Scheduled To Kick Off From January 7 With Mumbai and Baroda Favored To Host: Report

Women's Premier League: The upcoming 2026 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is likely to be played in two legs. According to a report from Cricbuzz, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has picked Mumbai and Baroda as the hosts for the fourth season of the Women's T20 tournament.

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Mumbai and Baroda Likely To Host WPL 2026

The media report added that the final will be played at the Kotambi Stadium in Baroda. Meanwhile, DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will stage the first half of the tournament.

The report further stated that the Women's Premier League will begin on January 7, 2026, and will go on till February 3, 2026. It is expected that the second leg of the tournament, which is likely to be played in Baroda, will begin from January 16. Since the Indian men's ODI team is scheduled to take on New Zealand in Baroda on January 11.

The official confirmation is yet to be announced by the top officials, but it's expected that the discussions of the venues are at an informal level.

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WPL 2026 Auction To Take Place On November 27

Earlier on November 17, the Women's Premier League announced the date of the mini-auction for the upcoming season. It's scheduled to take place on November 27, with New Delhi hosting the event.

UP Warriorz, who have retained uncapped Indian batter Shweta Sehrawat, head into the auction with the largest purse, four right-to-match (RTM) cards, and significant rebuilding ahead.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI), led by Harmanpreet Kaur, and three-time runners-up Delhi Capitals (DC) have both retained their full quota of five players, leaving them without RTM options. Among DC’s retentions are Shafali Varma and Jemimah Rodrigues, two young stars who played pivotal roles in India’s ICC Women’s World Cup triumph with standout performances in the knockout stages.

Over the first three WPL seasons, several players have attracted record bids. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana remains the most expensive signing in tournament history, purchased for ₹3.4 crore ahead of the inaugural season. She went on to lead RCB to the 2024 title and is among four players retained by the franchise, alongside Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, and Shreyanka Patil.

The upcoming auction will feature some of the biggest names in world cricket: 2025 Women’s World Cup Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma; South Africa’s captain Laura Wolvaardt, who amassed 571 runs with two centuries in the semifinal and final plus three fifties; Australian legends Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning; New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr; and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk.