WPL 2026 FAQs - All you need to know ahead of the new season
All the answers to all your burning questions about the fourth edition of the WPL
Hemant Brar
06-Jan-2026
Meg Lanning captains a different team this season while Harmanpreet Kaur will be defending her WPL title • WPL
The fourth edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is almost here. As the teams restructure after the mega auction, there's plenty of newness to look forward to. Here's all you need to know before the season begins.
When is WPL 2026 starting?
WPL 2026 will start on Friday, January 9, with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Navi Mumbai. The final will be played on February 5 in Vadodara. You can look up all the fixtures here.
Wait. Didn't the WPL take place in February-March?
You're right. That was the case until the 2025 season, but January-February has since become a dedicated window for the WPL.
What are the other venues apart from Navi Mumbai and Vadodara?
While the franchises have been keen to play on a home-and-away basis, most venues have been locked by the BCCI for the T20 World Cup and the Ranji Trophy. So the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara are the only two WPL venues this time. The first 11 matches will be played in Navi Mumbai and the remaining 11, including the Eliminator and the final, in Vadodara.
Is there anything new in the schedule?
Yes. For the first time since the inaugural season, the WPL will have double-headers. There are two of them, both in Navi Mumbai, both on Saturdays, the first on January 10 and the second on January 17. On double-header days, the first match will start at 3.30pm IST. All the evening games will begin at 7.30pm.
Any developments on the teams' front post the mega auction?
Quite a few. Delhi Capitals (DC) have a new captain in Jemimah Rodrigues. She replaces Meg Lanning, who will lead UP Warriorz (UPW) this time. Three teams, meanwhile, have new head coaches. Lisa Keightley has replaced Charlotte Edwards at MI, Malolan Rangarajan has taken over from Luke Williams at RCB, and Abhishek Nayar has come in for Jon Lewis at UPW.
Are any big names missing?
RCB's Ellyse Perry and DC's Annabel Sutherland have pulled out for personal reasons. RCB have replaced Perry with Sayali Satghare, which leaves them with only five overseas players, while DC have signed Alana King.
Alyssa Healy, Chamari Athapaththu and Heather Knight did not find any buyers at the auction. Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath and Sophie Molineux did not register at all.
Can you remind me of the rule about Associate players?
Sure. The teams can have five overseas players, as opposed to four, in their XI if one of them is an Associate player. But UPW's Tara Norris was the only Associate player this time and she withdrew after being named in USA's squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifier. So we will not see this rule in practice, unless a team brings in an Associate player as a replacement.
Any first-timers to keep an eye out for?
Definitely Lizelle Lee, the former South Africa wicketkeeper-opener. She is with DC and comes into the tournament on the back of an excellent WBBL, which brought her 305 runs at an average of 38.12 and a strike rate of 154.82. DC have also signed the uncapped Haryana batter Deeya Yadav. The 16-year-old has modelled her game on her state-mate Shafali Verma.
Then there is MI fast bowler Milly Illingworth. She grew up copying Jeff Thomson's action and can bowl at 120kph. But it needs to be seen how much game time she gets.
Where can I watch the matches live?
Depending on your location, you can watch the games on:
- Australia: Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports
- England: Sky Sports
- India: Star Sports and JioHotstar
- South Africa: SuperSport
- USA: Willow TV
As always, ESPNcricinfo will bring you the most comprehensive coverage: latest scores, news, features, analysis, and more.
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo