The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2027 auction is likely to be held on October 29 in Kochi. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is exploring multiple venues for the upcoming season.
At the WPL Governing Council meeting held virtually on Tuesday, the possibility of hosting matches in Varanasi was discussed. The BCCI is currently assessing whether the city’s new stadium will be ready to host the tournament by January next year.
According to a source tracking developments, Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium has already been confirmed as one of the venues for WPL 2027. The second venue is likely to be either Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium or the new stadium in Varanasi.
“It has been decided that Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium will stage WPL-2027 matches. The second city for staging the WPL will be either Vadodara (Kotambi Stadium) or the new stadium in Varanasi. The BCCI is exploring the possibility of staging matches at Varanasi right now. A BCCI cricket operations team will conduct a recce of the Varanasi stadium, and assess whether it is ready or not to stage the tournament. Since it’s a new venue, we also need to conduct a few domestic/practice matches as well there,” the source was quoted as saying by TOI.
Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium was also discussed as a possible venue. However, the source revealed that hosting WPL matches there would require several permissions from the local authorities.
Brabourne Stadium and Kotambi Stadium will also host the inaugural edition of the six-team ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, which is scheduled to take place from February 14 to 28.
Brabourne has previously hosted two WPL finals, including the inaugural final in 2023 and the 2025 summit clash. The Mumbai venue missed out on hosting matches last season as new floodlights were being installed. It will also serve as the home venue for Railways in the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season and is scheduled to host three of their matches.
Meanwhile, Vadodara hosted the WPL 2026 final, where Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Delhi Capitals by six wickets to win the title.
Decision on Impact Player rule deferred
Meanwhile, the BCCI’s IPL Governing Council has deferred its decision on the Impact Player rule until next month. The matter was discussed during the IPL GC meeting on Tuesday, with all franchises having submitted their feedback on the controversial rule.
“All the franchisees have submitted their feedback on the rule. That feedback will be assessed, and a final decision taken next month,” a source said.
According to the report, a majority of IPL franchises have expressed reservations about continuing with the rule after the BCCI sought their views.
The Impact Player rule allows teams to introduce an additional batter or bowler during a match. The rule has contributed to higher-scoring games by allowing teams to strengthen their batting depth. However, concerns have also been raised that its continued use could affect the development of genuine all-rounders in Indian cricket.
