WPL 2026 set to be held in Mumbai, Baroda from January 7: Reports

The Women’s Premier League 2026 is poised to be staged across Mumbai and Baroda, with the competition likely to run from January 7 to February 3. Though the BCCI has not formally communicated the final plan to the franchises, the two cities have emerged as the preferred hosts in internal discussions, and an official confirmation is expected at the WPL auction in New Delhi on November 27.

As per reports in Cricbuzz, Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, long admired by several leading Indian women’s players, is tipped to host the opening fixtures and set the tone for the fourth edition. Baroda is expected to take over in the latter stages, with the Kotambi Stadium being considered for the final. The transition to Baroda is projected to happen after the city hosts the India-New Zealand men’s ODI on January 11, which has been factored into the scheduling timeline.

Initially, Mumbai, Baroda, Lucknow and Bengaluru were all under consideration, but the



first two have reportedly edged ahead. If the current plan holds, the Baroda leg could begin around January 16, creating a split-venue layout for the upcoming WPL season.

The WPL 2026 auction will be held on Thursday, November 27, with the BCCI informing the five franchises that it will be a one-day event at a hotel in Aerocity, Sportstar reported. The retention window closed on November 6, and the final list of players for the auction will be released in due course.

After the retentions, UP Warriorz head into the auction with the largest purse and the most Right to Match (RTM) cards, having retained only Shweta Sehrawat. Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, have exhausted their RTM options after holding on to their full quota of five players.

Mumbai Indians enter the 2025 season as defending champions, having also won the inaugural WPL title in 2023. On both occasions, they defeated Delhi Capitals in the final.