The Women's Premier League (WPL), the biggest domestic tournament in women's cricket, is once again in the spotlight. The fourth season of the tournament is set to begin on January 9th. A total of 22 matches will be played between the five teams. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will be looking to retain their title, but this time they will face several new challenges. The teams have undergone significant changes after the mega auction. This year, the tournament is being held in January instead of February-March. Teams like Delhi Capitals and UP Warriorz have new captains. Meanwhile, big stars like Ellyse Perry will not be seen on the field this time. Let's take a look at all the important details related to the tournament's venues, team prospects, and schedule...
Opening Match: High-Profile Clash Between Mumbai and Bengaluru
The tournament will kick off on January 9th with a high-profile match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both teams are former champions. The tournament final will be held on February 5th.
Venue: 11 Matches in Two Cities
This time, matches will be played in only two cities: Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. While the franchises wanted to play at their home grounds, the BCCI had already booked the other major stadiums due to the T20 World Cup and the Ranji Trophy. Therefore, the first 11 matches will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The remaining 11 matches, including the Eliminator and the Final, will be played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
Schedule: First-ever dedicated window, no clashes with other events
Until 2025, this tournament was held in February-March. But now, the BCCI has fixed a January-February window to avoid clashes with other tournaments. Also, for the first time since the inaugural season, there will be double-headers (two matches in a day). Two matches will be played on January 10 and January 17. The first match of the day will start at 3:30 PM, and the evening match will begin at 7:30 PM.
