Women's Premier League 2026: 5 Key Reasons Why This Season Could Be Biggest Yet

The WPL 2026, starting January 9, is set to be its biggest season yet, driven by India’s Women’s World Cup win, emerging domestic talent, a dedicated international window, record viewership projections, and high stakes for national team selection.

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Setting the Stage for WPL 2026

The fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League will kickstart on Friday, January 9, with the defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the season opener at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

The teams - Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants, UP Warriorz, and Delhi Capitals will vie for the coveted WPL title. A total of 22 matches will be played across two venues, Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium and Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, with each team facing the others twice before the top three teams advance to the playoffs.

The table toppers at the end of the league stage will qualify for the final, while the second and third place teams will face off in the Eliminator to decide who meets them in the title clash.

On that note, let’s take a look at five key reasons why the WPL 2026 is likely to be the biggest season of the league.

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1. India Women’s World Cup Success

One of the key reasons the upcoming edition of the Women’s Premier League is set to be its biggest season is the success of the Indian women’s team at last year’s World Cup. The Women in Blue, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, ended a 47-year wait to lift the coveted trophy by defeating South Africa in the final. This was a major boost for Indian women’s cricket, and it is expected to have a significant impact on the fan interest, viewership, and overall engagement in the upcoming WPL season.

It was reported that the Women’s World Cup final drew a whopping 185 million viewers on digital platforms, and the surge in viewership has translated into the WPL, wherein the overall team sponsorships have increased by 10%, while player endorsements have risen by 25%. This further strengthens the league’s commercial appeal and popularity ahead of the 2026 season, thanks to India's success in the Women’s World Cup.

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2. Rising Domestic Talent

Another key reason for the likelihood of the WPL 2026 being the biggest season of the league is the rapid rise of domestic talent in Indian women’s cricket. The young players like Shweta Sehrawat, G Trisha, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Uma Chetry, Asha Sobhana Joy, and others came through strong domestic performances and earned recognition in the WPL. Kranti and Charani were part of the Indian women’s team that won the maiden World Cup last year.

In the upcoming WPL season, the emerging domestic players are expected to take on bigger roles for their respective franchises. The likes of Anushka Sharma (Gujarat Giants), Sanskriti Gupta (Mumbai Indians), and Vrinda Dinesh (UP Warriorz) attracted interest and bids from the franchises at the WPL 2026 mega auction last year, demonstrating franchises’ faith in homegrown talent and their potential to shine upcoming season of the league.

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3. Dedicated International Window

Just like the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Women's Premier League (WPL) has received a dedicated international window for the January-February period, starting from the upcoming season. This is a major boost for the league as it allows top overseas players to participate without scheduling conflict, raising the high quality of competition and making WPL 2026 even more exciting for fans.

The top overseas players, Ashleigh Gardener, Marizanne Kapp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Devine, Meg Lanning, Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt, Beth Mooney, and others have a fan following in India, and their presence is set to boost the viewership, fan engagement, and overall excitement of the fans. RCB all–rounder Alyssa Healy withdrew from the WPL 2026 due to personal reasons, but the league still boasts a star-studded line-up in the upcoming season.

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4. Record-Breaking Viewership Projections

The upcoming season of the WPL is expected to witness a massive increase in viewership, as projected by broadcasters and industry experts. In the last WPL season, the league managed to attract 325 million viewers across TV and digital channels, which was a significant increase from the previous editions of the WPL. With India winning the Women’s World Cup last year, the excitement of the fans appeared to have skyrocketed, and the league is expected to break all previous viewership records.

Moreover, the WPL 2026 has already attracted interest from advertisers, with the likes of ChatGPT and Kingfister packaged drinking water having joined as premier partners of the WPL, while Bilseri came on board as the beverage partner. Additionally, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has sponsored INR 48 crore over two seasons, further underlining the team’s commercial strength and its long-term potential.

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5. Heightened Stakes for National Selection

The upcoming WPL 2026 is expected to be closely watched by the national selectors as performances in the league will play a crucial role in shaping the India squad for international fixtures, including bilateral series and the Women’s T20 World Cup. With the marquee event set to take place in June this year, WPL 2026 performances will be crucial for players aiming to secure their spots in the India squad for the bilateral series, especially against Australia and England in the build-up to the T20 World Cup.

The uncapped Indian players will be keen to make an impact for their respective franchises to catch the attention of the national selectors, prove their talent on a big stage, and push their cases for inclusion in the India squad for the upcoming international fixtures and T20 World Cup.