Defending Champions Mumbai Indians to Open WPL 2026 Against RCB on January 9

The fourth edition of the Women's Premier League will ignite on January 9 with a blockbuster opener as Harmanpreet Kaur's Mumbai Indians, the defending champions, take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the 2024 title winners, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. This high-stakes encounter sets the stage for an intense 28-day tournament featuring 22 matches across two venues, promising thrilling cricket and fierce rivalries among the five competing teams.

For the first time in WPL history, the tournament shifts to a January-February window, departing from its traditional February-March slot that often clashed with international commitments. The schedule has been carefully designed to avoid overlapping with the men's T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7 in Colombo with Pakistan facing the Netherlands. As a result, the WPL final has been moved to a weekday for the inaugural time, scheduled for Thursday, February 5, at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

The action commences at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, a venue that recently hosted India's triumphant ODI World Cup victory over South Africa earlier this month. This iconic ground will stage the first 11 matches, including exciting afternoon double-headers on January 10 and 17, with all subsequent games in this leg being evening fixtures. The league will then relocate to Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara for the remaining 11 matches, culminating in the Eliminator on February 2 and the high-pressure final on February 5.

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The tournament format remains consistent with previous editions, where the five teams—Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Delhi Capitals—will compete in a double round-robin, playing each other twice. The top-ranked team will advance directly to the final, while the second and third-placed sides battle it out in the Eliminator for the other spot. Mumbai Indians lead the pack with two titles in three seasons, followed by RCB's 2024 triumph, while Delhi Capitals have been consistent runners-up, and Gujarat Giants along with UP Warriorz are still chasing their first final appearance.

Following the WPL's conclusion, the Indian women's team will immediately transition to an all-format tour of Australia starting February 15, featuring three T20Is, three ODIs, and a Test match concluding on March 9. This seamless scheduling ensures the players remain in peak form, bridging domestic league excitement with international challenges and highlighting the growing prominence of women's cricket on the global stage.

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