Women's Premier League 2026: Schedule, Teams, and Format Details
Kickoff of the Women's Premier League 2026
The highly anticipated fourth season of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is set to commence on Friday, January 9. The opening match will feature the reigning champions, Mumbai Indians, facing off against the 2024 titleholders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium located in Navi Mumbai. Notably, Mumbai and Bengaluru are the only franchises to have claimed WPL titles, with Mumbai securing victories in both 2022 and 2023.
Teams and Venue Information
This season will see five teams competing: Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, and UP Warriorz. They will compete in a total of 24 matches, including playoffs. The matches will be held at two venues: Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium and Kottambi Stadium in Vadodara. This is a reduction from the previous season, which utilized four venues, as the BCCI has reserved many grounds for Ranji Trophy matches and the T20 World Cup 2026.
New January-February Schedule
For the first time, the Women's Premier League will take place during January and February, coinciding with an international window designated by the ICC. This scheduling aims to prevent conflicts with bilateral series, allowing top international players to participate fully in the tournament.
WPL 2026 Format Explained
The format for WPL 2026 remains consistent with previous editions, featuring 22 matches where each team competes against every other team twice during the league stage. The top three teams will advance to the playoffs, with the leading team securing a direct spot in the final. The second and third-placed teams will compete in an Eliminator to determine who joins the final match.
Last season, the Delhi Capitals reached the final after topping the points table, while the Mumbai Indians triumphed over the Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator, setting the stage for their victory against Delhi Capitals in the final.
Match Schedule and Fixtures
The league stage will consist of 22 matches, with the first 11 games hosted at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium before the action shifts to Kottambi Stadium for the remaining matches, including the Eliminator and the final. This season will also feature two double-header days, both taking place at DY Patil Stadium.
Navi Mumbai Leg Schedule
1. January 9 – Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 7:30 PM
2. January 10 – UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants – 3:00 PM
3. January 10 – Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals – 7:30 PM
4. January 11 – Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants – 7:30 PM
5. January 12 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz – 7:30 PM
6. January 13 – Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants – 7:30 PM
7. January 14 – UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals – 7:30 PM
8. January 15 – Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz – 7:30 PM
9. January 16 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants – 7:30 PM
10. January 17 – UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians – 3:00 PM
11. January 17 – Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 7:30 PM
2023: Mumbai Indians 2024: Royal Challengers Bengaluru ❤️2025: Mumbai Indians 2026: ❓Catch #TATAWPL 2026 from TOMORROW on @StarSportsIndia and @JioHotstar #KhelEmotionKa
Vadodara Leg Schedule
1. January 19 – Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 7:30 PM
2. January 20 – Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians – 7:30 PM
3. January 22 – Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz – 7:30 PM
4. January 24 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals – 7:30 PM
5. January 26 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians – 7:30 PM
6. January 27 – Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals – 7:30 PM
7. January 29 – UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 7:30 PM
8. January 30 – Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians – 7:30 PM
9. February 1 – Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz – 7:30 PM
10. February 3 – Eliminator: Rank 2 vs Rank 3 – 7:30 PM
11. February 5 – Final: Rank 1 vs Eliminator Winner – 7:30 PM
Viewing Options for WPL 2026
Fans can watch all matches of the Women's Premier League 2026 live on the Star Sports Network. The toss will occur at 7 PM, with matches starting at 7:30 PM. For afternoon games, the toss will be at 2:30 PM, with play beginning at 3:00 PM. Additionally, viewers can stream the matches live on JioHotstar, which will provide commentary and match highlights.
WPL 2026 Team Squads
Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, G. Kamalini, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, Sanskriti Gupta, Sajana Sajeevan, Rahila Firdous, Nicola Carey, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth
Delhi Capitals: Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Laura Wolvaardt, Chinelle Henry, Shree Charani, Sneh Rana, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Taniyaa Bhatia, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandni Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani, Alana King (replacement for Annabel Sutherland)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Smriti Mandhana (c), Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Grace Harris, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, D. Hemalatha, Sayali Satghare (replacement for Ellyse Perry)
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner (c), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Titas Sadhu, Kashee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Georgia Wareham, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Yastika Bhatia, Shivani Singh, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni
UP Warriorz: Meg Lanning (c), Shweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Phoebe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire, Harleen Deol, Kranti Goud, Asha Sobhana, Deandra Dottin, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, G. Trisha, Pratika Rawal, Charli Knott (replacement for Tara Norris)