WPL 2027 schedule announced: RCB to face MI in opening fixture

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 will start from January 14 to February 7, 2027, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be playing the first match against the Mumbai Indians (MI). This is will be a blockbuster of a match. The matches will be staged across Vadodara and Mumbai, with 11 matches scheduled at each venue.

The mini-auction of the WPL recently took place at the Grand Hyatt Kochi in Kochi, Kerala, were 150 players went under the hammer, with 25 players were sold across the five franchises, while 125 shortlisted players went unsold. As this was a mini-auction so there was not much changes in the squad. The franchises just added back-ups and important players.

WPL to happen in two phases in Mumbai and Vadodara

On Wednesday, the fixtures for the WPL 2027 have been announced by the Board of Control (BCCI). The Vadodara leg will have 11 matches as the five franchise begin their pursuit for the title, and it will last until January 24. The BCCI is planning to gain more attraction from the fans where the games are played less.

The action will next move on to Mumbai, where the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium will host 11 matches along with the final. On January 26 the Mumbai leg will start. The league stage will last until February 3, and after that the top four teams will advance to the playoffs.

The knockout phase will start with the Eliminator on February 5, as the teams finishing second and third on the points table will compete for a place in the Final. The table topper after the league round will directly qualify for the final, which is scheduled to be played on February 7 at the Brabourne Stadium. There has been no designated specific standalone reserve days.

WPL to get more teams

There has been only five franchises in the WPL since it’s inaugural season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), Gujarat Giants (GG), and UP Warriorz (UPW). RCB and MI has won the tournament twice each. They are the joint-most successful franchises in the tournament.

However, recently BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia hinted on the increase of the franchises in the WPL. If the planning for the board and the WPL governing body goes well then the fans might get to see new franchises from the next year. As he also mentioned that after the Indian Premier League (IPL), the WPL has shown massive growth since its inception.