BCCI to discuss expanding WPL beyond five teams from next year

Expansion talks from next year

Saikia was speaking to the WPL website on the sidelines of the auction in Kochi. He said the talks would cover coaches, selectors and other stakeholders, not only players. CNBC TV18 reported that any expansion would require further deliberations by the BCCI, with discussions beginning next year.

"From next year, definitely we will have to do some brainstorming sessions to increase the number of teams as well as in other areas where we can improve," Saikia told the WPL website.

He described the WPL as one of the big leagues in franchise cricket after the IPL and said it had contributed to the success of women's cricket in India. The league has fielded five teams since its inaugural season in 2023.

Squad building in Kochi

The BCCI scheduled the mini-auction for 28 October 2026 at the Grand Hyatt in Kochi, starting at 5:30 pm IST. At the auction, UP Warriorz bought Australia captain Sophie Molineux for ₹1.10 crore, the highest price, CNBC TV18 reported. Delhi Capitals paid ₹75 lakh for India batter Kiran Navgire.

The five franchises entered with a combined remaining purse of ₹8.15 crore to fill 27 vacant spots, 20 Indian and seven overseas, from a 146-player pool, Jagran Josh reported. Each team works under a ₹15 crore salary cap. Mumbai Indians had the tightest budget at ₹90 lakh, with all overseas slots already locked in. The BCCI confirmed no right-to-match cards were available.

Jagran Josh listed four players at the top ₹40 lakh base price: Navgire, Heather Graham, Jess Jonassen and G. Kamalini. It listed 30 more at ₹30 lakh and 106 at ₹10 lakh. Franchises submitted retention lists on 28 September 2026, and each squad can hold a maximum of 18 players.

Schedule and defending champions

The BCCI announced on 16 September 2026 that the fifth WPL season will run from 14 January to 7 February 2027. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru open against former champions Mumbai Indians in Vadodara on 14 January. RCB won the title for the second time earlier this year by beating Delhi Capitals in the final.

Vadodara hosts 11 matches, including the opener, through 24 January. Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai stages the remaining 11 from 26 January. The league stage ends on 3 February. The Eliminator is on 5 February, with the teams finishing second and third meeting for a place in the final. The table-topper goes straight to the final on 7 February at Brabourne. All 22 matches start at 7:30 pm IST.

The five franchises are RCB, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz. RCB and MI have won two titles each. Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz have not won the title.

Revenue and break-even

The National Herald reported unconfirmed figures putting WPL gross revenue at around Rs 682 crore in its debut year in 2023, from media rights, franchise fees and sponsorships. It said franchises were nearing break-even rather than reporting net profits.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told PTI that the board had no immediate plans to add teams and wanted to consolidate before taking a call, while Punjab Kings co-owner Mohit Burman said the franchise would love to own a WPL team and Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan said CSK would target women's cricket in coming years.