The fourth season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is getting a major shake-up. The upcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is likely to be played in early January 2026, with the tournament likely to start on January 6 or 8. This is a big change from the usual February-March dates.
Why The Early Start?
The early dates have been picked for a good reason. The BCCI wants to finish the women’s league before the Men’s T20 World Cup begins. The big men’s tournament will be held in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026. This way, both events can get full attention without any clash.
Given that there are only 22 games in this season, it won’t take more than 26-27 days to conclude. So the WPL 2026 should wrap up by early February.
WPL 2026 Expected Dates and Venue
The player auction, which usually happens in December, will likely now take place in November this year. This gives teams more time to plan before the tournament starts in January.
The BCCI has not yet informed the five teams about the type of auction that will be there for the upcoming edition of the WPL. After three years of the league, there is talk that it might be a mega auction. If that happens, teams will have to make big changes to their squads.
All five teams are waiting to know the venues where the matches will be played next year. The BCCI is yet to inform the teams about the auction date, place, or how much money they can spend on players.
WPL 2025 Auction and Winner
The WPL 2025 auction was held in Bengaluru on December 15, 2024. A total of 124 players went under the hammer.
Speaking of the WPL 2025 winners, the Mumbai Indians beat the Delhi Capitals in the final of the Women’s Premier League 2025 to win their second WPL title. The final was played on March 15 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
The Capitals have qualified for the final on each occasion in the last three seasons and have ended up as runner-ups every time. In the 2025 final, the Mumbai Indians scored 149 runs for the loss of seven wickets, while the Delhi Capitals could only make 141 runs for the loss of nine wickets.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur played a key role in the win with her batting. The experienced pairing of Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Harmanpreet Kaur led the revival when Mumbai was in trouble during their innings. This was Mumbai’s second title in three years. They also won the first WPL in 2023.
Related Reads:
What’s Next?
Teams are now waiting for the BCCI to share more details. The auction date, venue, and rules will be announced soon. With the tournament getting a new January slot, this could be the biggest change in WPL’s short history.
The move to January also means the women’s league will get more attention from fans and TV viewers, as it won’t compete with the men’s events happening later.
All five teams – Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants – will be looking to build strong squads for the new season.
