If you follow women's cricket, the next few months have a clear rhythm: first the auction, then the wait for the full fixture list, then a packed January and February of T20 cricket. This guide pulls the official WPL 2027 updates together in one place.
One honest note up front: as of October 24, 2026, the season window and auction details are confirmed, but the match-by-match fixture list has not been released yet. Anything claiming the exact date, venue, and start time of every game right now is guessing.
WPL 2027 at a Glance
- Edition: Fifth season of the Women's Premier League
- Season window: January 14 to February 7, 2027
- Format: Twenty20, round robin and playoffs, five teams, 22 matches in total
- Player auction: October 28, 2026, Kochi, Kerala, from 5:30 PM IST
- Auction venue: Grand Hyatt Kochi
- Retention deadline: September 28, 2026
- Players retained: 63, including 23 overseas players
- Auction slots to fill: 27, including 20 for Indian players and seven for overseas players
- Players in the auction pool: 146
- Organiser: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
- Official website: wplt20.com
Where Official WPL Updates Actually Appear
Check the official source first, and treat everything else as a lead to verify. The league website, wplt20.com, is the home for fixtures, squads, points tables, and news. The BCCI media advisory is where the big dates first appear: the September 16, 2026 advisory confirmed the season window, the retention deadline, and the October 28 auction in Kochi.
League social handles carry the same announcements in short form, which helps on auction day, but posts can be clipped out of context. If a claim looks dramatic, go back to wplt20.com first. Also check the date on what you read: old squad lists from 2024 or 2025 still rank high in search.
WPL 2027 Schedule: What Is Confirmed
The confirmed part is the window itself: January 14 to February 7, 2027. The league will use the familiar five-team shape, with each side playing the others before the playoffs decide the finalists. Across the season, 22 matches are planned, covering league games plus the eliminator and the final.
What is not confirmed yet is the day-by-day list. The full schedule, with venues and start times, had not been released as of October 24, 2026. That is normal: the auction must finish first, and squads must be completed before a full list can be published. Wait for the official list on wplt20.com before booking travel around a single match.
The Five Teams for 2027
Five franchises return for the fifth season. No new team joins in 2027, which keeps the league tight and every game important.
Mumbai Indians, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, won in 2023 and again in 2025. They head into the auction needing six players, all Indian.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Smriti Mandhana, are the defending champions, with titles in 2024 and 2026. Ellyse Perry is back in their plans after missing last season for personal reasons.
Delhi Capitals, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, have reached every final in the first four seasons and lost each one. They have quality but still need one final step.
Gujarat Giants, led by Ashleigh Gardner, kept the most players, with 15 retained, so their auction job is small, with only three slots to fill.
UP Warriorz, led by Meg Lanning, released nine players, traded Tara Norris to the Mumbai Indians, and now there are eight slots to fill and the largest purse left.
WPL 2027 Auction: Kochi, October 28, 5:30 PM IST
The auction is only days away: October 28, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Kochi, starting at 5:30 PM IST. Five teams will bid for 27 open slots from a pool of 146 registered players.
The pool breaks down like this: 119 Indian players, including 22 capped and 97 uncapped, and 27 overseas players, including 14 capped, 13 uncapped, and six from Associate Nations. With only 27 slots, most registered players will not get a contract.
Base prices show where early action is expected. Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Molineux are at the highest base price, Rs 50 lakh. In the Rs 40 lakh bracket are G. Kamalini, Kiran Navgire, Heather Graham, and Jess Jonassen. Another 30 players are at Rs 30 lakh, four are at Rs 20 lakh, and 106 are at Rs 10 lakh. Those brackets set the floor, not the final price, which depends on demand, purse left, and need for that role.
Purse Left and Slots to Fill
Team | Purse Left | Slots | Indian Slots | Overseas Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UP Warriorz | Rs 3.75 crore | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Gujarat Giants | Rs 1.25 crore | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rs 1.15 crore | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Delhi Capitals | Rs 1.10 crore | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Mumbai Indians | Rs 90 lakh | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Total | Rs 8.15 crore | 27 | 20 | 7 |
Read that table as a story. UP Warriorz can be the most active team, with both money and slots. The Mumbai Indians must be smart, with six slots to fill from the smallest purse left and in the overseas slot. Gujarat Giants can be picky, needing only three players.
Retained Cores and Big Releases to Watch
Retention day on September 28, 2026, already told us a lot. Delhi Capitals kept 13, Gujarat Giants kept 15, Mumbai Indians kept 11, Bengaluru kept 13, and UP Warriorz kept 11. Star cores stayed put: Harmanpreet Kaur at Mumbai, Smriti Mandhana at Bengaluru, Meg Lanning at UP Warriorz, Shafali Verma at Delhi, and Ashleigh Gardner at Gujarat.
The release list is just as interesting. UP Warriorz let go of Deandra Dottin, Amy Jones, Chloe Tryon, and Kiran Navgire. The Delhi Capitals released Lizelle Lee, Alana King, and Sneh Rana. The Gujarat Giants released Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Titas Sadhu. Bengaluru released Grace Harris, and Mumbai released G. Kamalini, now back in the pool at Rs 40 lakh. That churn is what makes auction day worth watching: a player released by one team can fit another perfectly.
How to Follow Auction Day Without Missing a Pick
Auction day moves fast, so keep wplt20.com open as your anchor source, follow the league handles for live picks, and keep the purse table above beside you. It explains why a team stops bidding or why a player goes unsold even though she looks like a strong pick.
If you like one place to catch up on scores and stories through the season, Cribetalso carries cricket updates for fans to follow along.
Remember that unsold does not mean unwanted: teams have fixed slots and purse limits. Wait for the final squad lists, not mid-auction rumours, before you judge who had the best day.
What to Watch After the Auction
Once Kochi is done, final squads will be published, and then the full fixture list should follow, with venues and start times for January 14 to February 7. Only then is it worth planning travel around specific games. Watch for the big storylines: can Delhi Capitals turn a fifth final into a first title, can Bengaluru defend their crown, and can UP Warriorz rebuild into contenders?
Frequently Asked Questions
When does WPL 2027 start?
January 14 to February 7, 2027. The full fixture list had not been released as of October 24, 2026.
When and where is the WPL 2027 auction?
The auction takes place on October 28, 2026, in Kochi, Kerala, at the Grand Hyatt Kochi, starting at 5:30 PM IST.
How many teams play in WPL 2027?
Five teams: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and UP Warriorz.
How many players are in the WPL 2027 auction?
146 players are registered for 27 slots: 119 Indian players and 27 overseas players. Of the slots, 20 are for Indian players and seven are for overseas players.
Who are the defending champions?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the 2026 title, their second title after 2024. The Mumbai Indians won in 2023 and 2025. The Delhi Capitals have reached all four finals so far without winning a title.
Where can I check official WPL updates?
Start with wplt20.com and BCCI media advisories. They carry confirmed dates, squads, and fixtures.
