Current champions Mumbai Indians and the 2024 winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru will square off in the opening match of the fourth Women’s Premier League on January 9 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
In a first for the league, to avoid conflict with the men’s T20 World Cup, which begins in Sri Lanka and India that same week, the WPL final will now take place on Thursday, February, instead of over the weekend.
On Saturday, February 7, in Colombo, Pakistan and the Netherlands will play their first T20 World Cup match.
The 28-day, 22-match WPL will take place at two venues.
The DY Patil stadium, which hosted India’s first women’s ICC global title—the ODI World Cup final victory over South Africa earlier this month—will host the first 11 games, including afternoon double headers on January 10 and 17, according to the schedule that was released on Saturday.
This leg’s remaining games will all be played in the evening. Following that, the league will go to Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, where the final 11 games—including the Eliminator on February 2 and the final on February 5—would be played.
Furthermore, the WPL will be played for the first time from January to February. The three tournaments that preceded the IPL were held in February and March, often in conjunction with international events.
In a double round-robin style, the five teams—Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Delhi Capitals—play each other twice.
The top team goes straight to the final, while the teams in second and third place fight for the remaining berth in the Eliminator.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians won two titles in three seasons prior to RCB defeating Delhi Capitals in the final to capture the trophy in 2024 and end a 16-year title drought.
Delhi Capitals finished runners-up in each of the three tournaments, and Gujarat Giants and UP Warriors have not yet made it to the championship game.
Ten days after the WPL concludes, the Indian women’s team will embark on an all-format tour of Australia. From February 15 to March 9, the tour will consist of three Twenty20 Internationals, three One-Day Internationals, and a Test.
