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WPL 2026 to kick off on January 9, entire tournament to take place at just two venues

The 2026 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will take place from January 9 to February 5, as confirmed by the league chairman Jayesh George at the start of the mega auction on Thursday, November 27. With the Indian women's tour to Australia and the men's T20 World Cup set to take over the February cricketing calendar and most of the broadcasting schedule, the fourth edition of WPL will have a shorter and an advanced window, given that the previous three editions have taken place from mid-February to the first half of March. The WPL came close to getting the home and away format last year, with four venues - Vadodara, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai combined hosting the 22 matches; however, it will continue being played in the caravan format. Vadodara's BCA Stadium and home of Indian women's cricket - Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, where the Women in Blue won the World Cup final, will host the entire tournament in 28 days. Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal mentioned in the press conference that the tournament is expected to be played in the home and away format when the sixth team is added. With the 2026 edition kicking off the new cycle, there was an expectation that the sixth team would be added after three seasons and the iron was also hot with the World Cup win, however, it wasn't to be. However, with the new cycle being of just two years, the sixth new team is most likely to be introduced from the 2028 edition onwards. Mumbai Indians, the defending champions, will play the first game; however, the full schedule is yet to be unveiled. The teams started shaping up at the mega auction with the UP Warriorz, coming into the auction with the biggest purse, stealing the show in the first half, with the purchases of Meg Lanning, Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma, while the Delhi Capitals invested heavily in the all-rounders getting Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, apart from the South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt. Mumbai Indians got their overseas core back, getting Amelia Kerr and Shabnim Ismail back, while Gujarat Giants paid heavily for Sophie Devine in the first bid of the auction. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) invested in the likes of Georgia Voll, Lauren Bell, Nadine de Klerk and Radha Yadav.

Nov 28, 2025

'Excited to represent them again': Deepti Sharma expresses delight at being bought back by UP Warriorz

The WPL (Women’s Premier League) 2026 auction concluded on November 27, and the five sides roped in many big names within their ranks ahead of the fourth edition of the tournament. With the auction concluded, it is safe to say that UP Warriorz had one of the best buys in the event. Coming in with the biggest purse, the side roped in the likes of Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield and many more. Ace India all-rounder Deepti Sharma, after being released by the side, ended up becoming the costliest buy of the auction as UPW used their right to match card. Speaking after being bought by UP, Deepti Sharma talked about how delighted she is to have been bought by UPW for another season of the tournament. “I’m from Uttar Pradesh and have strong ties with UP Warriorz. The management has always been excellent and supportive. The auction was thrilling from the start, and I’m delighted that UP Warriorz bought me back. I’m excited to represent them again,” Deepti Sharma told 'Auction Special’. Deepti gave her take on UPW’s squad ahead of the new season Furthermore, she also talked about the balance in the UPW squad ahead of the new season. She revealed how the atmosphere within the side has been brilliant and how positive she has been feeling with the new signings that UPW has made ahead of the fourth WPL season. “The atmosphere has been great right from the start. I’m feeling really positive seeing new players from different teams join UP Warriorz. Having played with many of them before creates a comfortable vibe. The management remains incredibly supportive, and as I mentioned earlier, the changes I made to my batting two years ago were transformative for me.”

Nov 28, 2025

Coaches give their take after Alyssa Healy goes unsold in WPL 2026 auction

There were several talking points at the WPL (Women’s Premier League) 2026 mega auction, but the biggest one of all was ace Australia wicket-keeper batter Alyssa Healy going unsold. It is worth noting that Healy was the first drawn name from the eight-player marquee list to start the auction in Delhi but received no bids. Many fans thought that the sides were holding off on her and wanted to get her in the accelerated round. However, no team put Healy on their wishlist when the time came, and her name never came up again. After the event, where many were left wondering that despite being a huge name in women’s cricket and garnering several records for Australia women, why Healy was not picked, some of the team coaches took centre stage and gave their take on the same. "Alyssa Healy going unsold was surprising for different reasons. When you're allowed only four overseas players [in the XI], your options are limited, and many teams prefer allrounders in their set-up. It's a tough situation for someone of her stature,” Abhishek Nayar, head coach of UP Warriorz was quoted as saying. Anya Shrubsole gave her take on the same as well Furthermore, Royal Challengers Bengaluru women’s head coach Anya Shrubsole came forward and talked about how there was no place for Healy in their top order, as it already consisted of some top players like Georgia Voll and Alyssa Healy. "We have a very strong top order, and Georgia Voll gives us some offspin as well. With Richa Ghosh [as a wicketkeeper-batter] in the top five, going for Healy didn't make sense for us,” Shrubsole said. It is worth noting that Healy entered the auction for Rs 50 lakh after she was released by UPW. The side had signed her for Rs 70 lakh for the first two seasons, with an injury keeping her out of the 2025 season.

Nov 28, 2025

WPL 2026 auction: Three-time WPL finalist captain Meg Lanning joins UP Warriorz after DC lose bidding war

Former Australian skipper Meg Lanning will be turning up for the UP Warriorz in the 2026 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) after being bought by the Abhishek Nayar franchise for INR 1.9 crore at the mega auction. Lanning, who led the Delhi Capitals to three consecutive finals in the first three seasons of the competition, was released ahead of the mega auction. The Capitals went as far as INR 1.8 crore to get Lanning back but UP Warriorz, who came into the auction with the biggest purse of INR 14.5 crore, ended up acquiring her services. Lanning has been in sensational form in the ongoing Women's Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars, being the leading run-getter, scoring 327 runs in six innings, averaging 65, including a highest of 135 off 79 balls. It will be interesting to see in which direction the Warriorz look in terms of leadership, with Lanning and Deepti Sharma being the top contenders. Lanning is the third-highest run-getter in the tournament, amassing 952 runs in 27 innings, averaging 39.66, while striking at 127.10 and was the leader par excellence for the Capitals. Even though Lanning has retired from international cricket for two years now, she mentioned that she has been reinventing her power game and intent and continuously working on it and hence, it will be interesting to see how she does it in the yellow and purple of the Warriorz. Lanning will be reunited at UPW with her former Delhi Capitals teammates, Shikha Pandey and Tara Norris and her Australian teammate Phoebe Litchfield. Under Abhishek Nayar, the Warriorz were able to pick a solid team, and will now have to replicate it on the field. UP Warriorz squad Retained: Shweta Sehrawat (INR 50 Lakh) Auction picks: Deepti Sharma (INR 3.2 crore), Sophie Ecclestone (INR 85 Lakh), Meg Lanning (INR 1.9 crore), Phoebe Litchfield (INR 1.2 crore), Kiran Navgire (INR 60 Lakh), Harleen Deol (INR 50 Lakh), Kranti Gaud (INR 50 Lakh), Asha Sobhana (INR 1.1 crore), Shikha Pandey (INR 2.4 crore), Deandra Dottin (INR 80 Lakh), Shipra Giri (INR 10 Lakh), Simran Shaikh (INR 10 Lakh), Pratika Rawal (INR 50 Lakh), Tara Norris (INR 10 Lakh), Chloe Tryon (INR 50 Lakh), Suman Meena (INR 10), G Trisha (INR 10)

Nov 28, 2025

ICC hands out verdict on pitch in Perth after two-day Ashes opener clash

The Ashes 2025-26 opener was one of the shortest Test matches recorded in history. Australia and England took on each other in the first Test of the series at the Perth Stadium from November 21, and where fans anticipated a thrilling clash across five days, the game ended within two days as Australia registered an eight-wicket victory. It is worth noting that the pitch was heavily discussed after the game ended in just two days. The surface saw a total of 19 wickets being taken on the opening day, and Travis Head scored a marvellous century on day 2 that helped Australia register an emphatic victory. Releasing the pitch rating for the clash in Perth, the ICC (International Cricket Council) rated the surface as ‘very good’. Under the ICC’s rating system, a ‘very good’ pitch is where there is "good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers.” James Allsopp reflects on the ICC’s verdict After the ICC released the pitch rating, Cricket Australia’s Chief of Cricket, James Allsopp, came forward and talked about how the verdict by the ICC justified their belief that the Perth clash of the series was a balanced game between bat and ball. "The match referee's "very good" rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball. The dominance of some brilliant pace bowling from both sides and the frenetic nature of the contest meant the match lasted only two days,” Allsopp was quoted as saying. "This was disappointing for fans holding tickets for days three and four, but we saw some incredible moments which captivated huge viewing audiences and will inspire even more kids to pick up a bat and ball this summer,” he added.

Nov 28, 2025

Jemimah Rodrigues pulls out of WBBL to support Smriti Mandhana after wedding postponement

WBBL (Women’s Big Bash League) franchise, Brisbane Heat, recently came forward and announced star India women’s batter Jemimah Rodrigues has pulled out of the ongoing WBBL. It is worth noting that Rodrigues returned home after Heat’s clash against the Hobart Hurricanes to attend the wedding of Smriti Mandhana. However, the wedding festivities were postponed due to a health issue with Smriti’s father. According to a release by Brisbane Heat, Rodrigues will be extending her stay in India to support Smriti, and she will not be returning for the final four games of the WBBL season. Interestingly, the ongoing season was the second year that Jemimah had signed with the franchise. She was the side’s number one pick at the International Player draft earlier this year. Speaking of Brisbane Heat, the side is all set to take on Sydney Sixers in their next WBBL game on November 28. CEO Terry Svenson opens up on Jemimah’s situation After Jemimah Rodrigues pulled out of the season, Brisbane Heat’s CEO Terry Svenson came forward and talked about how unfortunate the situation is for the team but also stated that the side stands in support of his situation and wished Smriti Mandhana luck as well. “It has obviously been a challenging time for Jemi, so while it is unfortunate that she will take no further part in the WBBL, we were more than willing to agree to her request to remain in India,” Terry Svenson said in a Brisbane Heat release. “The Heat club obviously wish her and Smriti Mandhana’s family all the best for the future. Jemi told us she was disappointed not to be coming back and has passed on her appreciation to the club and the Heat fans for being so understanding of the circumstances. She has been in touch with the players and wished them all the best for the rest of their games,” he added.

Nov 28, 2025