WPL auction in Kochi on October 28, venues for season yet to be finalised

The WPL 2027 auction is scheduled to be held in Kochi on October 28, while the BCCI continues to finalise venues for the fifth edition. Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions after they beat the Delhi Capitals in last edition's final.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 is scheduled to be held in Kochi from January 28, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also working on the venue plans for the upcoming season, India Today reported. The WPL has announced that the upcoming edition will be held from January 14 to February 7.

The auction is set to take place at the Grand Hyatt Kochi, where the five franchises will look to complete and strengthen their squads ahead of the upcoming edition. The deadline for player retentions for the upcoming WPL season is September 28.

The WPL Governing Council discussed the tournament’s venue options during a virtual meeting, with the BCCI considering a mix of established grounds and newer facilities for the fifth edition of the league. The 2026 season was played across Mumbai and Vadodara, with the Baroda Cricket Association Stadium hosting the final.

BCCI EYES VARANASI, VADODARA FOR WPL 2027

Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium has been shortlisted as one of the venues for WPL 2027, according to a source cited by the Times of India. The BCCI is now exploring whether the second city will be Vadodara or Varanasi.

Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium hosted the 2026 final, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Delhi Capitals by six wickets to win the title.

The new stadium in Varanasi has also emerged as an option, provided it is ready by January 2027. The BCCI is expected to conduct a recce of the venue before making a final decision. Since it is a new facility, the board is also considering staging domestic or practice matches there to assess its readiness for WPL fixtures.

Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium was also discussed as a possible venue. However, using the iconic ground would require several permissions from local authorities, according to the report. The venue hosted WPL matches in 2024, when the tournament was staged across Bengaluru and New Delhi.

The 2027 edition will be the fifth season of the WPL. The league has featured five teams since its launch in 2023, with the tournament moving to a January-February window from 2026. The BCCI will need to finalise the venue plan before releasing the complete schedule.

RCB and Mumbai Indians are the two most successful teams in WPL history, having won the title twice each. Delhi Capitals have reached the final in all four seasons but are yet to win the title. UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants are the other two teams in the competition.