The 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League is anticipated to kick off early, with January 7 to February 3 being proposed as the tournament dates. The BCCI’s intention to hold the entire league in a couple of cities – Mumbai and Baroda – has been reported by several media sources, although an official statement is still awaited.
Conversations among board members point to the scenario where Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium welcomes the first part of the season and then Kotambi Stadium in Baroda hosts the second leg when that venue becomes free after a men’s ODI match on January 11.
Why WPL is starting so early this time?
The shift in the tournament date is primarily aimed at avoiding any overlap with the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup that will be held in February and March in India and Sri Lanka.
Thus, by early January, the women’s cricket calendar will have taken off with the board’s plans of no clashes, full player availability, and all attention directed towards women’s cricket. In addition, the earlier start gives the broadcasting and franchise sectors better preparation time without overlapping their commitments.
Currently, the venues remain unofficial, but according to sources, franchises will be receiving the final confirmation at around the same time as the WPL auction. This is expected to take place on either November 26 or 27 in New Delhi. Once the auction is done, the teams can start planning their preparations based on the locations of their matches.
The opening week being in Mumbai is a great start for the tournament since DY Patil Stadium has already experienced successful WPL games and has had a lively and crowded atmosphere. By including Baroda, a new city has been inducted into the league, and it is expected that matches will be played at that venue from the end of the first half of January.
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In case the reported schedule is correct, fans shall be up for the fourth season of the WPL which is going to be another month of thrilling cricket with the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Alyssa Healy, etc. taking the field right after the New Year.
The league has made a strong impact in the first three seasons and the early-January slot could be a perfect opportunity to lure in more spectators since it will not conflict with other prominent sports events taking place.
The situation is very clear; WPL 2026 is scheduled to start on January 7 and Mumbai and Baroda will be the two main venues. At this point, the global cricket community is just waiting for the BCCI to confirm the announcement and provide the complete schedule. As soon as that happens, the fans will have the entire picture of how the 2026 season will be like, but for now, all reports firmly point in the same direction: a new year, two cities, and one thrilling month of women’s cricket.
Written By:- Manjunath S