KOCHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the auction for Season 5 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will be held on October 28 at the Grand Hyatt Kochi.
The BCCI formally communicated the auction details to the league’s five franchises on Wednesday, September 16, before subsequently issuing a media release confirming the venue and date.
The board has also announced the dates for the 2027 WPL season, which is scheduled to be played from January 14 to February 7, 2027.
Ahead of the auction, the five franchises have until September 28 to finalise their player retention and release decisions.
Each WPL squad can comprise a maximum of 18 players, including up to six overseas players. The salary cap for the current auction cycle has been fixed at INR 15 crore.
Mumbai and Vadodara likely to host WPL 2027
The BCCI has not yet officially announced the venues for the 2027 WPL season. However, Mumbai and Vadodara are understood to have been identified as the primary venues.
The Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai and Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara have reportedly been identified as the definitive venues. Both grounds hosted the fourth season of the WPL, with the final taking place in Vadodara on February 5.
There has also been speculation about Varanasi hosting some matches in the upcoming season following the construction of a new stadium there.
However, sources associated with the WPL indicated that hosting league matches in Varanasi would depend on the stadium’s readiness.
The venue would first need to be tested through domestic matches before it could be considered for WPL fixtures. At present, staging WPL matches in Varanasi remains a remote possibility.
The 2027 season will see teams return to the player market following the retention and release process, with the October 28 auction in Kochi set to determine the next stage of squad building.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending WPL champions after winning the fourth edition of the tournament.
