WPL 2026: All you need to know about the tournament
What's the story
The much-awaited fourth season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is set to kick off on January 9. The opening match will be contested between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Navi Mumbai on January 9. Notably, Mumbai Indians will head into the tournament as defending champions. A total of 20 group-stage matches will be played, followed by two knockout games, including the final on February 5. Here is all you need to know about the tournament.
Teams
Teams and past winners
The upcoming season of WPL will again see the participation of five teams: Mumbai Indians, UP Warriorz, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Gujarat Giants. As mentioned, MI are the reigning WPL champions, having won two titles in three editions so far. RCB are the other past winner. Delhi Capitals (DC) have been the runners-up in all three seasons so far.
Tournament structure
Tournament to be played across two venues
The WPL 2026 season will be played across two venues—Navi Mumbai's Dr DY Patil Sports Academy and Vadodara's BCA Stadium. The first leg of the tournament will take place in Navi Mumbai from January 9 to January 17, with a total of 11 matches scheduled during this phase. The second leg will then move to Vadodara for another set of matches, including the playoffs.
Double-headers
2 double-headers scheduled for WPL 2026
This year's edition also marks the first time that WPL will be held in January-February instead of February-March like previous seasons. Meanwhile, the upcoming season will also feature two double-headers - another first in the competition's history. Both afternoon games will be played on Saturdays in the first half of the season in Navi Mumbai.
Structure
WPL 2026: A look at the tournament format
The WPL 2026 will follow a traditional round-robin format, with each of the five teams facing every other team twice in this stage. A win will fetch two points, while an abandoned match will give one point to both teams. After the round-robin stage, the top-ranked team on the points table gets a direct spot in the final. The second and third-placed teams will face each other in the Eliminator to become the second finalist.
Twitter Post
Here is the full schedule of WPL 2026!
🚨 WPL 2026 SCHEDULE 🚨
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 29, 2025
- RCB takes on Mumbai Indians in the first match of the season. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0enzsIq2g5
Combination
Six overseas players allowed in each squad
Each squad has 15 to 18 members, with six overseas players each. As per the rules, a maximum of four overseas players are allowed in an XI. However, if a team has an associate cricketer, she can be the fifth overseas player. Notably, a total of ₹40.8 crore were spent at the WPL 2026 auction as teams secured 67 players, with 23 of them being overseas names.
Broadcasting
How to watch WPL 2026 matches in India?
Fans excited to catch the live telecast of WPL 2026 matches can tune into the Star Sports network. Meanwhile, live streaming of the matches will be available on the JioHotstar app and website. This way, fans won't miss out on any moment from this exciting women's cricket tournament. While the evening games will get underway at 7:30pm IST, the ones in the afternoon will be played for 3:30pm IST.