The Women’s Premier League (WPL) returns with a new edition in 2026. This time, the league starts a month earlier than usual.
And here’s all you need to know about the WPL 2026 season, from schedule to squads to broadcast details.
So, when does the WPL 2026 start?
The fourth edition of the WPL will start on January 9, 2026. Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will square off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener in Navi Mumbai at 7:30 PM IST.
How many teams will participate?
The usual five teams will feature in the WPL 2026. MI walk in as the reigning champions, while RCB will aim for their second trophy. Delhi Capitals (DC), Gujarat Giants (GG), and UP Warriorz (UPW) will chase their first title.
How many matches will be played?
A total of 22 matches will take place in the season. 20 of them are league stage matches, with the other two being knockout games – the eliminator and the final.
Know All About the WPL Here
What’s the format of the WPL 2026?
The league stage follows a double round-robin format. So there will be two encounters each between all teams. That means each side plays eight matches in the league stage.
Then the top three teams qualify for the playoffs. The table toppers advance straight to the final, while the second- and third-placed teams will fight for the other final spot in the eliminator.
Will teams play on a home-away basis? And which are the venues?
There won’t be home-away fixtures for another season, though MI and GG will play a few matches on their respective home grounds.
Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium and Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium will share the hosting duties for the WPL 2026 season.
Ongoing & Upcoming Series Schedule:
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Australia Schedule for 2025-26 Home Season
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New Zealand Schedule for 2025-26 Home Season
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International League T20 (ILT20) 2025-26: Schedule
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Indian Women’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
Australia’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
South Africa’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
What’s the full schedule for the WPL 2026?
So Navi Mumbai will host the matches between January 9 and 17, including two double headers. The double headers are on January 10 and 17.
After a day’s break, the action will shift to Vadodara. The league stage will conclude on February 1, with the Eliminator on February 3. The final will take place on February 5 (Thursday).
WPL 2026: Complete Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jan | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 10 Jan | UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants | Navi Mumbai | 3:00 pm |
| 10 Jan | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 11 Jan | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 12 Jan | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 13 Jan | Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 14 Jan | UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 15 Jan | Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 16 Jan | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 17 Jan | UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians | Navi Mumbai | 3:00 pm |
| 17 Jan | Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Navi Mumbai | 7:30 pm |
| 19 Jan | Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 20 Jan | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 22 Jan | Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 24 Jan | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 26 Jan | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 27 Jan | Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 29 Jan | UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 30 Jan | Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 1 Feb | Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 3 Feb | Eliminator: No. 2 vs No. 3 | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
| 5 Feb | Final: No. 1 vs Eliminator Winner | Vadodara | 7:30 pm |
Also Read | How Many Players are Allowed in a WPL Squad?
How do the squads stack up?
All teams did a major overhaul to their squads in the player auction ahead of the 2026 season. Here’s how the squads look:
Delhi Capitals
Taniya Bhatia, Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Lucy Hamilton, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Mamatha Madiwala, Minnu Mani, Nandani Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Laura Wolvaardt, Annabel Sutherland, Sneh Rana, Shafali Verma, Deeya Yadav, Niki Prasad
Gujarat Giants
Kanika Ahuja, Yastika Bhatia, Tanuja Kanwar, Ashleigh Gardner (c), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kim Garth, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Happy Kumari, Beth Mooney, Anushka Sharma, Renuka Singh, Shivani Singh, Ayushi Soni, Titas Sadhu, Georgia Wareham, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Mumbai Indians
Nicola Carey, Rahila Firdous, Sanskriti Gupta, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth, Shabnim Ismail, G Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr, Poonam Khemnar, Hayley Matthews, Nalla Reddy, S Sajana, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Triveni Vasistha
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk, Richa Ghosh, Grace Harris, D Hemalatha, Gautami Naik, Smriti Mandhana (c), Pratyoosha Kumar, Shreyanka Patil, Ellyse Perry, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Linsey Smith, Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav
UP Warriorz
Harleen Deol, Deandra Dottin, Sophie Ecclestone, Shipra Giri, Asha Sobhana, Deepti Sharma, G Trisha, Chloe Tryon, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Suman Meena, Kiran Navgire, Tara Norris, Shikha Pandey, Pratika Rawal, Shweta Sehrawat, Simran Shaikh
Where to watch the WPL 2026?
The fourth edition of the WPL will be broadcast live on Star Sports Network’s TV channels. In addition, the matches will be available for live streaming on JioHotstar.
Read Next | Indian Women’s Cricket Team 2026 Complete Schedule
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