The Women’s Premier League (WPL) has quickly become one of the most important competitions in women’s T20 cricket, bringing together leading Indian and international players. The 2026 season was the fourth edition of the tournament and was played from January 9 to February 5, 2026, across Navi Mumbai and Vadodara. Five teams competed in a 22-match tournament, with each side playing the other teams twice during the league stage.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finished at the top of the league table and eventually won the title after defeating Delhi Capitals in the final. The championship was RCB’s second WPL title and made them only the second team after Mumbai Indians to win the competition twice.
Quick Snapshot
| Detail | Information |
| Season | WPL 2026 |
| Edition | 4th |
| Dates | January 9 – February 5, 2026 |
| Teams | 5 |
| Total matches | 22 |
| League venues | Navi Mumbai and Vadodara |
| Champion | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Runner-up | Delhi Capitals |
| Final result | RCB won by 6 wickets |
| Final venue | Vadodara |
| Player of the Tournament | Sophie Devine |
WPL 2026 Schedule
The WPL 2026 schedule began with defending champions Mumbai Indians facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru on January 9 at Navi Mumbai. The first leg featured 11 matches before the competition moved to Vadodara. The second venue hosted the remaining league games, the Eliminator and the final.
The league stage consisted of 20 matches, with every team playing each opponent twice. The team finishing first qualified directly for the final, while the second- and third-placed teams met in the Eliminator. The winner of the Eliminator then advanced to the final against the league leader.
The final league match was played on February 1, followed by the Eliminator on February 3 and the final on February 5 in Vadodara.
Key playoff fixtures:
- Eliminator: Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals — February 3, Vadodara.
- Final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals — February 5, Vadodara.
Delhi Capitals defeated Gujarat Giants by seven wickets in the Eliminator to earn a place in the final against RCB.
WPL 2026 Points Table
RCB dominated the league phase, winning six of their eight matches and collecting 12 points. Gujarat Giants finished second with 10 points, while Delhi Capitals took third place with eight points. Mumbai Indians finished fourth with six points, and UP Warriorz ended the league stage fifth with four points.
| Position | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | Points | NRR |
| 1 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 8 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 1.247 |
| 2 | Gujarat Giants | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | -0.168 |
| 3 | Delhi Capitals | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | -0.055 |
| 4 | Mumbai Indians | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0.059 |
| 5 | UP Warriorz | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -1.076 |
The WPL playing conditions award two points for a win, with teams receiving one point each for a no-result or certain tied matches. When teams are level on points, wins and then net run rate are used to determine their positions.
RCB confirmed their direct place in the final after defeating UP Warriorz by eight wickets in Match 18, becoming the first side to qualify for the playoffs.
WPL 2026 Teams
Five franchises participated in the fourth season of the Women’s Premier League:
- Delhi Capitals Women
- Gujarat Giants Women
- Mumbai Indians Women
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women
- UP Warriorz Women
These five franchises were retained as the participating teams for the 2026 season. The official retention announcement confirms the five-team structure ahead of the fourth edition.
RCB produced the strongest league campaign, while Gujarat Giants and Delhi Capitals secured the other two playoff positions. Defending champions Mumbai Indians narrowly missed the knockout stage after finishing fourth, while UP Warriorz finished fifth.
WPL 2026 Stats
The 2026 season produced several notable individual performances. According to the official WPL season statistics, Sophie Devine finished as the leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets from nine matches and also received the Player of the Tournament award.
Leading run-scorers included:
| Player | Runs | Matches |
| Smriti Mandhana | 377 | 9 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 342 | 8 |
| Nat Sciver-Brunt | 321 | 7 |
| Lizelle Lee | 320 | 10 |
| Laura Wolvaardt | 317 | 10 |
These figures are listed in the tournament statistics published by Cricbuzz.
Leading wicket-takers included:
| Player | Wickets | Matches |
| Sophie Devine | 17 | 9 |
| Nandani Sharma | 17 | 10 |
| Nadine de Klerk | 16 | 9 |
| Amelia Kerr | 14 | 7 |
| Shree Charani | 14 | 10 |
The official WPL season page also lists Sophie Devine with 17 wickets and names her as the Purple Cap winner and Most Valuable Player, with 255.5 MVP points.
Another major statistical highlight came from Nat Sciver-Brunt, who scored the first century in WPL history during Mumbai Indians’ 15-run victory over RCB.
WPL 2026 Final
The WPL 2026 final was played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals on February 5 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. Delhi Capitals batted first and posted 203/4 in 20 overs, setting RCB a target of 204.
RCB successfully chased the target, reaching 204/4 in 19.4 overs to win by six wickets. The result gave RCB their second WPL championship after their previous title in 2024.
The chase was led by captain Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll, whose batting partnership helped RCB complete the highest successful run chase in WPL history. The official tournament report described Delhi’s 203/4 as the highest first-innings total in a WPL final and RCB’s chase as the highest successful chase in the competition’s history.
Delhi Capitals had reached the final after beating Gujarat Giants by seven wickets in the Eliminator. The victory also gave DC their fourth consecutive appearance in a WPL final.
Conclusion
WPL 2026 delivered a competitive fourth season, with five teams battling through 20 league matches before the playoffs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru established themselves as the strongest side during the league phase, finishing first with 12 points before completing their campaign with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in the final.
The season also produced significant individual performances, including Sophie Devine’s 17 wickets and Player of the Tournament award, Smriti Mandhana’s leading run-scoring campaign and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s record-setting century.
FAQ’S
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won WPL 2026, defeating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the final.
The final was played on February 5, 2026, at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara.
Five teams participated: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz.
The tournament consisted of 22 matches, including 20 league matches, an Eliminator and the final.
Sophie Devine was named the Most Valuable Player of WPL 2026 after taking 17 wickets in nine matches.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished first with six wins from eight matches, 12 points and a net run rate of +1.247.
Also Read
IPL 2026: Full Schedule, Points Table, Teams, Results, Stats & Final
Sources
- Official WPL/BCCI — WPL 2026 schedule and tournament information. WPL Official Website
- Official WPL — 2026 Schedule PDF. WPL 2026 Schedule
- Official WPL — WPL 2026 Final Match Report. WPL Final Match Report
- Cricbuzz — WPL 2026 matches, results and statistics. WPL 2026 on Cricbuzz
- NDTV Sports — WPL 2026 points table and results. WPL 2026 Points Table
