Mumbai & Baroda to Host WPL Stages; DY Patil Stadium Returns After ODI World Cup Final

After the ICC Women's ODI World Cup, it is time for the Women's Premier League in India. The fourth season of the WPL will likely be played between January 7th and February 3rd. The last season took place in the window of February-March. It is important to note that January has been adopted as a possible permanent window for the WPL to avoid conflicts in scheduling with other leagues and the ICC FTP.

According to a Cricbuzz report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has selected Navi Mumbai and Baroda as the two venues for the upcoming WPL season. Navi Mumbai could host one of the two WPL stages, while the Kotambi Stadium in Baroda could host the second stage starting January 16th. The stadium will also host the first ODI between India and New Zealand men's teams on January 11th.

The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is the same venue that hosted the memorable Women's ODI World Cup final earlier this month, in which Harmanpreet Kaur-led India defeated South Africa in the final to lift the trophy.

However, the BCCI has not yet officially informed the five franchises about the venues, while discussions are ongoing at an informal level. The five teams are expected to be officially informed about the venues for the WPL 2026 during the auction to be held in New Delhi on November 27th. The Mumbai Indians are the defending champions of the WPL, while the Royal Challengers Bangalore won the 2024 tournament.