WPL 2026 dates officially announced, World Cup venue finalized for the opener
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The WPL dates have been announced, and Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium, which recently hosted the ICC Women's ODI World Cup final, will be hosting the opener of the competition.
The Women's Premier League is to be played for the fourth time, and the Mumbai Indians will once again enter as the defending champions of the tournament. Several big names will be seen in new shirts after they were released ahead of the mega-auction.
Even the likes of veteran batters Meg Lanning, Australian skipper Alyssa Healy, and lastly the Indian kingpin Deepti Sharma were released by their respective franchises.
WPL announces dates amid mega-auction.
The Women's Premier League has been played for three seasons before 2026, and the window is around the January-February window, which is much ahead of the IPL. This time, they have been pushed further ahead, as the ICC T20 World Cup would also be held around the same time in India.
The WPL dates have been announced, and it will be held between the 9th of January and the 5th of February. The tournament will be held in the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai and the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.
DY Patil will be hosting the opening round and the first game of the season, with the final scheduled to be held in the BCA Stadium.
UP Warriorz pick and retain Deepti Sharma for an insane INR 3.2 crore
Deepti Sharma, the veteran Indian all-rounder, ended as India's best performer in the World Cup triumph with 200+ runs and the most wickets with the ball. She won the player of the tournament award in the World Cup.
However, Deepti was released by her former franchise, UP Warriorz, but they never seemed to have let her go. She was brought back for a whopping INR 3.2 crores as they fought in an intense bidding war for the all-rounder.
The UP Warriorz have parted ways with their former skipper Allysa Healy as well but would look for their new skipper in Meg Lanning.
Laura Wolvaardt to DC, Meg Lanning and Sophie Ecclestone to UP Warriorz, Kerr to MI, and Alyssa Healy unsold in the WPL auction
Laura Wolvaardt, the top scorer for South Africa in the World Cup and the skipper of the team, has been sold off to the Delhi Capitals after the Gujarat Giants decided to release her. She has been picked for INR 1.10 Crores and might be seen in a leadership role as well.
Meg Lanning, the skipper who led Delhi Capitals to consecutive finals but no title, has been sold to UP Warriorz again, as they might be looking for the ideal pick for captaincy.
Amy Kerr has been one of the costliest among overseas players, with a whopping INR 3 crores from her previous franchise, the Mumbai Indians. Sophie Ecclestone will also pair alongside Deepti and Meg Lanning in the UP deck.
Among unsold players, Australian skipper Alyssa Healy remained one of the most shocking names; this might be because of her frequent injuries and absence from the game.
