The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is ready for its 4th edition with exciting T20 cricket. Five teams: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, and Gujarat Giants will compete for the championship.
All five teams now enter the season after purchasing their players from the first-ever WPL mega auction. A total of 73 player spots were filled from a pool of 276 cricketers. The main spotlight of this mega auction was on Deepti Sharma (INR 3.2 crore), Amelia Kerr (INR 3 crore), and Sophie Devine (INR 2 crore).
The official schedule for WPL 2026 has been announced, divided into 2 legs. The 1st leg will run from January 9 to 17, featuring 11 matches at Navi Mumbai. On the other hand, the 2nd leg will run from January 19 to February 5 at Vadodara. Get the complete schedule information of the 4th edition of the WPL in this blog.
Complete Schedule Of WPL 2026
The chairman of the WPL, Jayesh George, confirmed that the 4th edition of WPL 2026 will begin on January 9 and conclude on February 5. Before the WPL 2026 player auction, Jayesh George also shared that the entire season will be held in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. Among these, Vadodara has been chosen as the venue for the final match.
The tournament will kick off with the match between the two WPL champion teams, MI and RCB, in Navi Mumbai.
| Date | Match No. | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, January 9 | Match 1 | MI vs RCB | Navi Mumbai |
| Saturday, January 10 | Match 2 | UPW vs GG | Navi Mumbai |
| Saturday, January 10 | Match 3 | MI vs DC | Navi Mumbai |
| Sunday, January 11 | Match 4 | DC vs GG | Navi Mumbai |
| Monday, January 12 | Match 5 | RCB vs UPW | Navi Mumbai |
| Tuesday, January 13 | Match 6 | MI vs GG | Navi Mumbai |
| Wednesday, January 14 | Match 7 | UPW vs DC | Navi Mumbai |
| Thursday, January 15 | Match 8 | MI vs UPW | Navi Mumbai |
| Friday, January 16 | Match 9 | RCB vs GG | Navi Mumbai |
| Saturday, January 17 | Match 10 | UPW vs MI | Navi Mumbai |
| Saturday, January 17 | Match 11 | DC vs RCB | Navi Mumbai |
| Monday, January 19 | Match 12 | GG vs RCB | Vadodara |
| Tuesday, January 20 | Match 13 | DC vs MI | Vadodara |
| Thursday, January 22 | Match 14 | GG vs UPW | Vadodara |
| Saturday, January 24 | Match 15 | RCB vs DC | Vadodara |
| Monday, January 26 | Match 16 | RCB vs MI | Vadodara |
| Tuesday, January 27 | Match 17 | GG vs DC | Vadodara |
| Thursday, January 29 | Match 18 | UPW vs RCB | Vadodara |
| Friday, January 30 | Match 19 | GG vs MI | Vadodara |
| Sunday, February 1 | Match 20 | DC vs UPW | Vadodara |
| Tuesday, February 3 | Match 21 | Eliminator | Vadodara |
| Thursday, February 5 | Match 22 | Final | Vadodara |
This new schedule differs from the usual WPL timing. Usually, the tournament begins in February of the Match, but for the 2026 season, it has been moved forward to early January. The main reason for this adjustment is to ensure the WPL does not clash with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which India and Sri Lanka will host around the same time.
Format Of WPL 2026
In the WPL, a total of 22 matches will be played, including the Eliminator and final. Each of the five teams plays every other team twice during the league stage, and the top 3 teams qualify for the knockout stage. After all these matches, the table toppers have a direct entry into the final.
The teams that finish in second and third place play the Eliminator. The winner of this Eliminator advances to the final, where the season champion is decided.
Tata WPL So Far
The historic WPL inaugural season was played in 2023, and all the matches were held only in Mumbai. In that inaugural edition, home team Mumbai Indians (MI) became the champion.
The second season of the WPL was held across two cities in Bengaluru and Delhi. This edition was phenomenal as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) became the 2nd champion team of this league. RCB showed consistent performances during the season and reached the final, where they defeated the Delhi Capitals. With this win, RCB claimed their first WPL title, while DC finished as the runner-up for the second time in a row.
The third season was more special because, for the first time in WPL history, matches were played across four different cities: Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai. This expansion gave more fans the chance to experience live WPL action. During this season, the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals met in the final once again. Once again, DC finished as a runner-up as MI defeated them by a narrow margin of 8 runs.
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Conclusion: WPL 2026 Will Start From January 09, 2026
WPL 2026 is ready for an exciting season, with a January 9 start and the final on February 5, featuring MI vs RCB. With 22 games in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara and new squads formed after the mega auction, every team enters with fresh strengths. Stay updated and follow your team throughout the WPL 2026 season.
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