WPL 2026 to Be the Fourth Edition, Likely to Start in Early January. The fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) is expected to be held earlier than usual. According to a report by Cricbuzz, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to kick off WPL 2026 on either January 6 or 8, 2026.
BCCI: With only 22 matches scheduled, the tournament is likely to conclude by the first week of February. For context, the inaugural WPL in 2023 was held in March, while the subsequent two editions took place during the February-March window.
The BCCI is yet to finalize the venues for WPL 2026. There remains uncertainty about whether the league will be hosted across multiple cities. The first edition was exclusively held in Mumbai, whereas the following two seasons utilized multiple venues. WPL 2025, for instance, featured matches across four cities: Baroda, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai.
Additionally, the BCCI may consider conducting a mega auction ahead of WPL 2026, similar to the Indian Premier League (IPL), given that the league has now completed three editions. However, no final decision has been announced yet.
BCCI: Mumbai Indians Women are the defending champions of the WPL
Mumbai Indians Women enter the WPL as the defending champions. Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, they clinched the WPL 2025 title by defeating Delhi Capitals Women in the final. The franchise also won the inaugural WPL in 2023. In the 2024 season, BCCI, the trophy was claimed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women.
