WPL 2026: Prize Money, Captains, and Playing XI Rules - Check all Details Here

WPL 2026 Prize Money: The fourth season of the Women's Premier League is starting today, January 9. The final match will be played on February 5. All matches will be held in Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. The prize money has been increased this time. 

Image Credit : X@WPL

WPL 2026 Kicks Off

The fourth edition of the Women's Premier League will kick off on Friday, January 9. The five teams - the defending champions Mumbai Indians, 2024 winner Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Giants, Delhi Capitals, and UP Warriorz will will compete in a 24-match tournament across Navi Mumbai and Vadodara, aiming for supremacy in India’s premier women’s T20 league.

Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the only winners of the tournament, with the former winning twice in 2023 and 2025, while the latter clinched the maiden title in 2024. The upcoming season will witness whether the Mumbai Indians can defend the crown or another team will rise to claim the WPL trophy.

Interestingly, for the first time that the Women’s Premier League will be played in January-February, a dedicated international window by the ICC, avoiding clashes with bilateral and allowing top overseas players to fully participate in the tournament without scheduling conflicts.

Image Credit : X/@cricbuzz

MI and RCB to Lock Horns in Season Opener

The Women's Premier League 2026 will begin with the defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on the 2024 winner Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium on January 9. 

The Dr DY Patil Stadium holds a special place for Indian women's cricket as it was there Harmanpreet Kaur and her girls clinched a historic maiden Women's ODI World Cup triumph, defeating South Africa in the final. 

The opening clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru promises a thrilling start to the 2026 edition of India’s premier women’s T20 league.

Image Credit : X@WPL

How Much Is the Prize Money?

A total prize money pool for the top two teams is INR 9 crore, with the winner of the WPL 2026 taking home INR 6 crore, while the runners-up will receive INR 3 crore. The prize money pool for the WPL 2026 is similar to the last season, where the Mumbai Indians claimed the 2025 title, taking home INR 6 crore, and the runners-up Delhi Capitals received INR 3 crore. 

Moreover, INR 5 lakh each will be awarded for Player of the Tournament, Orange and Purple Caps winner, Most Sixes of the Season, and Best Strike Rate of the Season. The Player of the Final will receive a cash prize of INR 2.5 lakh, while INR 1 lakh each will be awarded to the Player of the Match for the league stage and Eliminator matches.

This takes the total to approximately INR 9.50 crore, including team awards, individual accolades, and match performance prizes.

Image Credit : X@WPL

What are the playing 11 rules?

Talking about the playing 11 rules in WPL, each team is allowed to field only four overseas players, as per the league regulations, and the remaining seven players must be Indian. However, if an overseas player is from an associate nation, team can field up to five overseas players in their playing XI. 

In the WPL 2026, three players from an associate nation, including two from Scotland (Kathryn Bryce and Sarah Bryce), and one from the USA (Tara Norris), have been signed by the franchises, allowing teams to slightly increase their overseas contingent while still maintaining the league’s focus on promoting Indian talent.

Image Credit : X@WPL

Who are the Captains of all Teams in WPL 2026?

Ahead of the WPL 2026, there are a few changes in the captaincy of the franchises following the first Mega Auction. Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Ashleigh Gardner were retained as the captains of MI, RCB, and GG, respectively, while the Delhi Capitals appointed Jemimah Rodrigues as the captain after Meg Lanning was released from the squad. 

However, Lanning regained the captaincy after UP Warriors acquired her services at the WPL 2026 mega auction in November 2025.  So, three Indian and two overseas captains are leading the franchises this season.