WPL 2027 to begin on January 14, auction on October 28 in Kochi
Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) The fifth edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be played from January 14 to February 7, 2027, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the key dates for the upcoming season on Wednesday.
The first major deadline on the road to the new campaign will be the player retention deadline on September 28, giving the five franchises an opportunity to decide which members of their existing squads they want to retain.
The next stage of squad-building will take place at the WPL Player Auction on October 28. The auction will be held at the Grand Hyatt Kochi, where franchises will seek to fill gaps and finalise their combinations for the fifth season.
The 2027 tournament will follow the 2026 edition, in which Royal Challengers Bengaluru claimed their second WPL title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final. The league continues to feature five franchises, RCB, DC, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, and provides a platform for both established international players and emerging Indian talent.
The retention window will be particularly significant as franchises assess their squads ahead of the auction. With the five teams required to build balanced combinations across batting, bowling and all-round options, decisions made in September will shape their approach in Kochi a month later.
The WPL has continued to grow since its inaugural season in 2023, bringing some of the leading names in women’s cricket together alongside young players looking to establish themselves at the highest level. The BCCI has described the tournament as a major platform for the development and expansion of women’s cricket.
With the dates now confirmed, the immediate focus shifts to the franchises and their retention plans. Once those decisions are made by September 28, attention will turn to Kochi, where the October 28 auction will provide the next major step towards assembling the squads for the 2027 season.
–IANS
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