Just after the player auctions, the Women’s Premier League (WPL) schedule was announced and, for the first time in four seasons, the final was scheduled for a weekday rather than a Sunday. The WPL 2026 will mark two doubleheaders at the DY Patil Cricket Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The WPL 2026 schedule has been announced and Mumbai Indians will enter the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League as the reigning champions of the tournament. They won it for the second time in WPL 2025, with RCB Women being the other among the previous winners.
Delhi Capitals are hoping to finally win a WPL title after finishing second in the first three seasons.
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The WPL calendar has many surprises in store this time, since the final was announced on February 5, a Thursday. This is the first time it will be held on a weekday, and the doubles will be played on Saturday at the DY Patil Stadium.
The dates and venues for the edition were confirmed by WPL Chairman Jayesh George on Thursday, the day of the WPL auction. Apart from this, this is also the first time that the WPL will be played in a January-February window.
WPL 2026 Calendar:
Navi Mumbai Stage
January 9: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
January 10: UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants
January 10: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals
January 11: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants
January 12: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz
January 13: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants
January 14: UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals
January 15: Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz
January 16: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants
January 17: UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians
January 17: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Vadodara Leg
January 19: Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
January 20: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians
January 22: Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz
January 24: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals
January 26: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians
January 27: Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals
January 29: UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
January 30: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians
February 1: Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz
February 3: Eliminator
February 5: final
DY Patil will host the first half, while Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara will host the second half of the tournament.
The WPL is usually played over a window of almost 28 days, as it involves 5 teams and a total of 22 matches in the competition. As a result, the event may be split between two venues, with the second venue usually also hosting the knockout matches.
The first half of the tournament, comprising 11 matches, will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, a ground etched in the history of women’s cricket, as India won their first-ever ICC women’s title at the venue. These 11 matches will include the two double headers of the competition.
The action then moves to the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, where the remaining 11 matches, which include both the Eliminator and the final, will be played. By WPL standards, the Eliminator features a match between No. 2 and No. 3 in the points table at the end of the group stage matches.
The winner of the Eliminator faces the team number 1 in the points table, which advances directly to the final.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to begin after WPL 2026
The WPL week will also be a very crucial week from the international cricket point of view, as just one day after the WPL final, the U-19 Men’s World Cup final will take place, and after another day, the Men’s T20 World Cup will begin.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. This is the reason why the WPL window was pushed back from February-March to January-February.
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