WPL 2026 schedule out: Mumbai Indians to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in season 4 opener; THIS city to host final

With the rosters for the Women’s Premier League finalized for the 2026 season following this week’s auction, preparations are underway for the new cycle and the tournament's fourth edition. The BCCI has released the complete schedule for the event, prompting fans to start noting important dates as the action returns for the stars of women’s cricket in January and February of 2026.

This year, the tournament is set to occur a month earlier than usual due to the men’s T20 World Cup taking place in the traditional February-March timeframe. Consequently, the tournament will kick off on January 9, with the defending champions, Mumbai Indians, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, facing off against Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

The initial segment of the tournament will be hosted at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the site where the Indian women’s team celebrated their remarkable World Cup victory not long ago. This venue will be one of two locations utilized for this edition of the tournament, as the WPL continues its caravan-style format for now.

The first 11 matches of the league stage will occur in Navi Mumbai, after which the final nine group stage matches and the entire playoff series will shift to Vadodara, where the Kotambi Stadium will host the final for the first time in WPL history.

The league will also uphold the playoff format, allowing the top-ranked team to advance directly to the final, while the second and third-placed teams will compete in an eliminator. This eliminator is scheduled for Tuesday, February 3, while the final is uniquely set for Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Two double-header days are included in the schedule: January 10 and January 17, featuring the matches UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians. Both of these day games will take place in Navi Mumbai.

WPL 2026 Schedule  

NAVI MUMBAI LEG January 9-17, 2026 

Jan 9: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru 

Jan 10: UP Warriorz vs Gujarat Giants 

Jan 10: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals 

Jan 11: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Giants 

Jan 12: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs UP Warriorz 

Jan 13: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Giants 

Jan 14: UP Warriorz vs Delhi Capitals 

Jan 15: Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz 

Jan 16: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants 

Jan 17: UP Warriorz vs Mumbai Indians 

Jan 17: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru 

VADODARA LEG January 19 - February 1, 2026 

Jan 19: Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru 

Jan 20: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians 

Jan 22: Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz 

Jan 24: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals 

Jan 26: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians 

Jan 27: Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals 

Jan 29: UP Warriorz vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru 

Jan 30: Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians 

Feb 1: Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz 

PLAYOFF February 3, 2026

FINAL February 5, 2026

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