The WPL 2026 cricket season will start from January 9 with the final scheduled on February 5, Women’s Premier League chairman Jayesh George confirmed on Thursday.
Jayesh George, speaking before the WPL 2026 player auction, also revealed that the upcoming WPL season will be held across two venues – Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, with the latter also hosting the final.
This marks the fourth edition of the WPL, which is the world’s most lucrative franchise-based T20 cricket tournament for women.
The WPL has seen two different champions in as many editions. India cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians clinched the inaugural title in 2023, defeating Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals in the inaugural WPL solely held in Mumbai.
The second season, co-hosted by Bengaluru and Delhi, witnessed Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru claim their maiden crown, with DC finishing runners-up once again.
Last season, MI recaptured the title again, with DC finishing runners-up for a third straight season. Last year, the Women’s Premier League was held across four cities – Vadodara, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Mumbai.
The 2026 season, however, is set to witness considerable changes with all five teams undergoing a major churn at the preceding mega auction.
The three seasons of WPL conducted till now have followed the same format. The five teams face each other twice in the league stage, with the top team directly qualifying for the final.
The second and third placed teams then face off in a one-off Eliminator with the winner joining the league toppers in the summit clash.