These WPL 2026 matches could be held behind closed doors
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering hosting two Women's Premier League (WPL) matches behind closed doors on January 14 and 15. The decision comes as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region prepares for municipal corporation elections on January 15. The police have informed the BCCI that they won't be able to provide adequate security during these WPL fixtures due to election duties.
Official statement
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia comments on potential closed-door matches
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told Sportstar, "We may have to host those two matches (on January 14 and 15) without any crowd. We are contemplating that idea after the police intimation, but as of now, no decision has been taken." The first phase of WPL Season 4 is being held at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium while the second phase and final will be played in Vadodara.
Match implications
UPW to see two of their matches behind closed doors
If BCCI goes ahead with the plan to host matches behind closed doors, fans will miss out on the Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz game on January 14 and the Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz fixture the next day. The Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match scheduled for January 16 remains uncertain as no official confirmation has been released regarding spectator policies for that date.
Ticket status
Ticket sales and future WPL fixtures
The official WPL ticketing platform has not listed tickets for the January 14, 15, and 16 matches. However, tickets are being sold for the double-header on January 17 when MI will take on UPW and DC will play RCB before the tournament moves to Vadodara. The franchises have also confirmed that they haven't received any communication from BCCI regarding this issue yet, as per Sportstar.