The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is shaking things up in 2026. Instead of its usual February-March window, the fourth edition will take place in January. That’s straight from the Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2025-29, so it’s all above board. This move by the BCCI means that the WPL won’t conflict with other prime international matches. So, what’s in store for this women’s T20 competition? Below, you’ll learn about what you can expect for WPL 2026 and learn about this year’s champions.

What to Expect in the Women’s Premier League 2026

The WPL 2026 will take place in January instead, which aims to promote a more balanced global calendar. This move also means there will be no clash with Australia’s home summer. And with that, it will allow players all over the world to be involved without having to run into schedule conflicts.

Although expansion to 33 or 34 matches has been discussed, the Women’s Premier League committee member and IPL chairman Arun Dhumal made it clear that there were no impending plans to increase the number of teams. The existing five-team format will not change.

Here are the five official teams that will battle it out in the WPL 2026:

• Delhi Capitals (DC)
• Gujarat Giants (GG)
• Mumbai Indians (MI)
• Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
• UP Warriorz (UPW)

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WPL 2026 Schedule Reshuffle and Global Impact

When the BCCI decided to push back the Women’s Premier League to January 2026, it had a spillover effect on the international calendar. Cricket Australia (CA), in particular, reacted by moving the Women Ashes series to February-March. This is so their best players, most of whom are also the WPL franchise captains, would be available to attend both.

This will be the first occasion that the WPL will be officially featured into the Women Future Tours Programme (FTP) since its inception. It is also an indicator to the increasing role of the WPL in women's cricket at the international level. CA official Roach mentioned that this new alignment will enable the Australian team to be present throughout the year and still honor the increasing significance of the WPL.

The Women’s Premier League 2025 Season Recap

The 2025 WPL in its third season was played between 23 February and 17 March, 2025. The tournament was played in the same 22-match format as earlier editions. All of this with five franchises competing in a double round-robin phase, with both Eliminator and Final.

Closing out the league is none other than Mumbai Indians. The team’s win this year happens to be their second WPL championship in three years. The 2024 champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore, had lost earlier in the playoffs. The season ended in an amazing spectator turnout and a further increase in television ratings over the broadcast. With that, it makes WPL a renowned pillar of women franchise cricket.

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Conclusion – A New Era for the Women’s Premier League

After only three editions, the Women’s Premier League has left a mark, with increasing fan following, high broadcastability, and international standards of Cricket spectacles. As the 2025 season drew to a successful close in February, anticipation is now at full throttle for 2026 with WPL entering a new era with a January date and even more global resonance.

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